For Marcus Jahmal, less is more and color is king and story is key. I know that sounds simplisitc because that is the secret sauce for so many artists, but Jahmal's continued evolution as a brilliant color perfectionist and with room to have his stories breathe has been a great evolution in the Brooklyn artist's work. Interiors, his massive solo show opening at Anton Kern Gallery in NYC this week, plays with art history and the role of the entertainer, with musicians, bullfighters, dancers, and clowns all creating a minimalistic cacophony of movement and sound in each work.
The gallery mentions "One cannot help but think of a smoky New Orleans jazz club, or late nights spent listening to the hypnotic, psychedelic records of Miles Davis–each painting echoing a bold blare of a trumpet, an electrifying pluck of a bass, or a decisive smash into a snare drum: overall, the effect is that of an extraordinary and potent symphony of color, image, and atmosphere." What struck me was the sense of listening to a Charlie Christian record, or watching through the gaze of Jack Kerouac as he walked into a nighclub. There is just a poignant eye throughout that takes your through a time machine where art felt risky, for life felt a little on edge, something dynamic and dangerous. —Evan Pricco
