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ART REVIEW: “Land of the Free” at L’Atelier Berkshires Gallery

As the exhibition title hints, the subjects are scenes from America as filtered through the thoughts, memories and dreams of an American artist.

I can give a dozen good reasons for going to L’Atelier Berkshires Gallery in Great Barrington – and all of them are paintings by Marshall Jones. One of the Berkshires’ newest galleries, L’Atelier hosts “Land of the Free,” showcasing this promising, intelligent, early-career artist from Manhattan. Packed in two small rooms, this quality exhibit offers an inviting opportunity to discover this destination.

While the gallery’s literature applies the slippery label Photorealism to Jones’ artwork, it doesn’t really stick. Photorealists typically mimic the dehumanized, mechanical eye and soul of a camera. In contrast, Jones frequently injects his work with doses of painterliness and human commentary. “Photo Naturalism,” to coin a term, would better describe these paintings: a photo-based, naturalistic style.

mick
Mick, 32 x 40. Oil on canvas. By Marshall Jones.

All but two paintings include the human figure: two uninhabited interiors, three portraits, six narratives, and one iconic nude. The pieces date from 2011 to the present. As the exhibition title hints, the subjects are scenes from America as filtered through the thoughts, memories and dreams of an American artist. The exhibit includes substantial female nudity, but by today’s standards, these passages are relatively modest.

Portraits sometimes transcend mere portraiture – mundane records of likenesses – and become engaging paintings in their own right. This is the case with Mick, a friend of the artist. Jones masterfully captures the hollow, once-was essence of his sitter. Poignantly, he references Caravaggio’s Sick Bacchus to reinforce the theme. (A knowledgeable and thoughtful artist, Jones often alludes to famous artworks in his paintings.)

Mick provides a good snapshot of Jones’ process, and reflects his traditional training. Scrutiny reveals traces of grey underpainting, which the artist subsequently covers in flesh tones. (This old technique is similar to colorized photographs.) The result is a sculptural presence of physiognomy. To accentuate this facial focus, streams of solvent, running down like raindrops – or teardrops – soften the background. This dance between delineation and abstraction continually refreshes the eye.

Ritual 3 not only is a fine painting, it has a sense of importance about it. A tattooed, female nude kneels before a wall disfigured by stain and corrosion. Presumably, her action is not independent, but in compliance to an unseen force. With head lowered and arms downward, her body language is submissive and vulnerable. An unidentified liquid pools around her; its source is ambiguous, but perhaps indicative of a prolonged stance. The stark simplicity of Jones’ composition imprints an enduring memory.

 S.K.L. 6, 18 x 22. Oil on canvas. Marshall Jones.
S.K.L. 6, 18 x 22. Oil on canvas. Marshall Jones.

The painting lends itself to multiple readings. On a narrative level, it could be a scene of ritualistic correction or sexuality. It also works as a postmodern revision of a traditional subject: the female personification of the art of painting. Visually equated with the wall – gestural and impastoed like an abstract painting – the tattooed lady is a living canvas, and as a literal work of art, she is on permanent display. Or perhaps it’s an allegory of the subjugation of representational art in America. Surrendered to this mural of Modernism, the painted figure patiently waits for its rescuer.

Jones’ ongoing S.K.L. series (Sexy Killer Ladybots) presents scantily-clad women wielding handguns – a sort of Jane Bond. These paintings are full of urban edge, sexual itch, and youthful sass. In short: very American. S.K.L.6 depicts a deadeye damsel sporting the tattoo “Live Fast” abruptly interrupted by a skull. A cast shadow falling across the squint of her eyes adds an interesting touch. This vivid painting is the show’s closest flirtation with Photorealism, and it has commanding wall strength.

Some parting thoughts: The two large, visionary canvases are highly-personal and intentionally indecipherable, but nevertheless thought-provoking. In Star, a face-painted woman is set against an image of a star going supernova – a chromatic swan song. America 3 brings to mind three associations: Pop Art (especially Tom Wesselmann and Mel Ramos); our society’s obsession with sex, youth, and beauty; and the objectification of women for commercial purposes – again, all very American.

The list of works goes on, and I suspect that visitors will enjoy creating their own dialogue with the art. September 30th is the exhibit’s final day.

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