Painting (5.12.11)

Figural forms emerge within a central vortex of swirling lines and colors. At bottom center are a skull and several crouching figures, including one who points and wears a hat. They are surrounded by a field of soft pink, gold, and silver, which was airbrushed and spray-painted onto the canvas. These figurative elements are crucial to the construction of Oliver Lee Jackson’s works, or what he calls their “actual tangible effect.” The dualities at play—hard and soft, abstraction and figuration, color and space—are fundamental to Jackson’s practice. They embody his lifelong exploration of materials, pushing the boundaries of painting as an artistic medium.