Artist Focus: J Louis

American Art Collector

November 2021

American artist J Louis lives and works in New York City. In his early 20s, the artist was recognized for his vision and has garnered exposure rapidly, exhibiting with many of the finest representational galleries worldwide. His work is currently collected and represented in numerous prestigious collections.

His oil paintings are done on linen panels, skillfully expressing modelesque figures as the center of attention. Although evocative and graceful, these individuals are poised and occupy the painted space with mysterious confidence.

Louis paints with lively, inventive handling of this well-known medium. However, he uses more than a brush. He masterfully manipulates the surface of the painting and the paint itself, thus constructing fascinating textures and surface qualities. You will find that velvety thin glazes of paint move over the textured panel and mingle with thicker masses of dense pigment, making dramatic contrast in color and texture. His play of material and textural blemishes breathes life into the otherwise still figures. 

A new body of work completed within the last year will be highlighted at Arcadia Contemporary in Pasadena, California, beginning June 22. The idea for the show, Louis says, is to create this “very dreamy space,” perhaps waking viewers up to a concept less often pondered—that qualities like softness and tenderness do not equal weakness. “I’m trying to get that feeling in my work—of amazement and empowerment—that there’s something really special and there’s always something new to uncover about [a person].”

He says that he hopes the show creates a misty, ethereal ambiance. “They’re right in front of you, but they’re also from another world…I wanted to create a show that’s all about that idea of dreaming, being off in another world and experiencing this surreal moment.”

Paintings like Drawing Lines, Roller Coaster, and Open And Closed are grounded in some sense of reality, but appear subtly warped and otherworldly. .The women in each piece hold themselves with a sense of ease, their gazes focused upon something we, the viewer, cannot see. Aspects of their form—an outstretched arm or long hair across the floor—create beautiful, elongated lines within the compositions, and where they lead is a mystery waiting to be uncovered.

“The gallery is always looking for what we haven’t seen before. We search for artists are really charting their own paths and J. Louis is one of those painters,” Steve Diamant, president of Arcadia Contemporary. “Anatomy, perspective, and all of the other ‘fundamentals’ are obviously addressed in his works, but color, design and a tactile impact play equally important roles in his paintings. The old line of ‘you need to see these in person’ really holds true for his paintings and unless you do, you’re partly missing out on their greatness.”

“The beauty of the paint, reflected in human figures, is compounded in the imperfections of the surface,” Louis says. “This collaboration is hidden and exquisitely revealed within the composition connecting line, color and texture into a magnificent study of human form and beauty.”

The viewer uniquely experiences these figures, primarily women in intimate poses. It genuinely feels as if we are witnessing a moment of recognition beyond our understanding and these meaningful glances rest in an unexpectedly ambiguous space. 

A pop-up exhibition for Louis, at 347 Broome Street in New York City, will open December 3 with a reception at 6 p.m. It will remain on view until December 5. —
Want to See More?
info@jlouis.co | www.jlouis.co
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