James Jean: Kindling
by Derrick Ableman
If you like chocolate in your peanut butter, horror in your fantasy and pain in your pleasure, then book it down to the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in NYC to check out Kindling, a solo exhibition of new works by James Jean.
Best known for his Eisner Award-winning cover work for Vertigo's Fables comic series, LA-based artist James Jean's debut solo fine art exhibition showcases a collection of original large-scale mixed media paintings and drawings on canvas, linen and paper.
Popping like Ralph Steadman impressions of Blake's darkest hour, these elegantly gonzo compositions feature confounding creatures in fantasy dreamscapes that twist traditional symbolism into dynamic narratives of metamorphosis, mortality and sexuality.
Refreshingly devoid of irony, Kindling cleaned my clock and then some, speaking with all the force and immediacy of a cave painting to the combed-over primate within (results may vary).
Astonishing and more than worth what little time we all have, Jean's foray onto the gallery scene is not to be missed.
Kindling
Jonathan Levine Gallery
529 W. 20th St., 9th Floor
New York, NY 10011 map
tel. +1 212 243 3822
