studio visits
studio visits
Jason Yarmosky uses his realist oil paintings to explore themes of age, mortality and cultural diversity. The New York-born artist lends most of the inspiration behind his compositions to the close bond he had with his grandparents, in particular his late grandmother who suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s. Somewhere (2017) portrays her wearing a faded unicorn mask to symbolize the intangible state that she was in while touching upon fleeting moments in life.
“These are people who I'm so close with and I've known them the longest in my entire life.” he explained to HYPEBEAST. “My grandmother had dementia, and it made me recognize the impermanence of all the relationships that we encounter.”
Last summer, Yarmosky self-launched an exhibition at the famed Double Diamond House in Westhampton Beach, New York. The presentation entitled “Lovers and Friends” featured a total of seven paintings that evoked lessons learned from his grandparents who “lived with an immortal attitude,” as he explained. For the exhibition as a whole, Yarmosky wanted to embrace the relationships he had with people of all different ages and cultures, with close friends of his also acting as subjects for his works.
Yarmosky continues to push the limits of traditional portrait painting and drawing in his new works. His paintings and drawings have been exhibited across the globe and stateside, including recent solo exhibitions at the Huntington Museum of Art in West Virginia, and the University of Maine Museum of Art in Bangor.
We sat down with the artist in his Brooklyn studio to discuss some of the major concepts and influences in his work. Read the full interview below.
Artist Jason Bard Yarmosky on the Impermanence of Human Life
Exploring the otherworldly artworks of the Brooklyn-based painter and sculptor.
Brooklyn, New York
jasonyarmosky.com
This idea of impermanence and relationships, is that a concept you've always explored in your work?
Yok & Sheryo
The focus of my work is always personal. I think that's one of the more important things I examine in my practice. I don't keep a diary or journal, but my work becomes personal because I put a lot of who I am into it. When someone looks at these images, they might encounter playful elements in them. But, there are underlying socio-political issues hidden within [the compositions]. For instance, we don’t celebrate old age in our society, we celebrate youth. These paintings have been an outlet for me to examine these issues. It’s an ongoing dialogue that I have with myself and with the outside world, you know?
For sure. Can you describe any other concepts you are examining in your practice?
There are concepts of time and mortality — two things that are inevitable to all of us as humans, right? We don’t talk about these issues, because I don't think most people want to. I have friends who are in their ‘80s and ‘90s. I see them regularly as well as my friends. I wanted to celebrate diversity and touch on those concepts that I mentioned in the “Lovers and Friends” show.
Those were never meant to be literal. That's not how I ever saw them. It's not “aging superheroes” at all. The superhero costumes are essentially metaphors. In our society, we admire these superhuman characters because they’re almost immortal. By placing these costumes on elderly subjects, it touches upon this idea of mortality, but also vulnerability. The latter is such an important part of the human condition. I’m attempting to reference the vulnerability that my grandmother was experiencing with dementia and Alzheimer's. I think that putting her in a Wonder Woman costume was to symbolize her strength.
HYPEBEAST: One of your biggest shows last year was “Lovers and Friends” at the iconic Double Diamond House. Tell us about the notable influences surrounding the body of work that were presented at the show.
Jason Yarmosky: It was a collaborative effort between me and my best friend. We wanted to bring together the different people that inspired us in our everyday lives. For me, For me, it came at a time which was right after my grandmother passed.
This piece in particular evolved as I worked on it. I didn’t have this idea solidified from the beginning, it presented itself along the way which sometimes happens and sometimes doesn't. It's just part of the process. And I let that process kind of take me where it needs to go because at some point if a painting is going to be speaking louder to you than you are to it, then that's when you know it's there. It’s a conversation.
One of your more recent projects is the Superhero series. What was the concept or inspiration behind it?
“I'm personally drawn to work that addresses strong questions, work that I can connect with that hits me.”
cj hendry
“I think the best part of being an artist is the process. The journey.”
Sheryo: Not as much as we like to. Now, we’re very busy with studio work and traveling to different locations in Southeast Asia.
Yok: Yeah, we’re busy finding places to do installations. It’s our new thing. We also travel often to learn niche handicrafts. We get stoked about going to places like Indonesia and spend months learning how to do Batik and making other local artisan works.
Everybody creates art differently. I'm personally drawn to work that addresses strong questions, work that I can connect with that hits me. And I think most of the work that does hit me in that way comes from an artist who has a strong personal connection to their work.
Do you believe artists have a responsibility to shed light on societal issues in their work?
I think the realism in some of these oil-based works, especially these 12-foot black and white pieces where you can see all the details is important — it’s necessary to depict age in a really physical way. In other works, I have some things planned where I don't need that realism. I’m always experimenting with things and finding ways to execute ideas that translate what I’m trying to explore.
What attracts you to realism?
Yeah she had been to my shows before! My grandma's someone who would always say, “You're so special. I love you my grandson. Like no matter what you can't do wrong.” And all of her grandchildren felt that way. It was so nice. She had this amazing way of making all of us feel special.
Had your grandmother seen your work?
The closest thing I've come to painting myself, had been this last series where I'm taking different people of different ages and races like the people who I am closest to in my life. It could be my grandfather, my godson, homies or whomever I love and bringing them together in my compositions. They necessarily don’t even have to know each other in real life. That concept, I’d say, was the closest thing to a self portrait from me. But when it actually comes to physically painting myself, it’ll probably happen when I'm old.
You specialize in portraiture, have you ever made a self-portrait?
How do you deal with outside pressures when it comes to creating art?
I have so many artists that I'm inspired by like Kiki Smith and William Kentridge. It's funny because when I was younger I only really knew the Ninja Turtles like Michelangelo, Leonardo, etc. I was a fan of the show and the Renaissance artists that they were named after. As I got older, I became a fan of Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Velasquez. And it just gradually grew from there.
Which artists are you inspired by?
During the Renaissance, there were so many different trades that people were pursuing. But the thing people forget is they we just mastering one thing because life expectancy was so short. You didn't have antibiotics, if you get pricked by a thorn on a rose you're going to die kind of scenario. I’m amazed by the crazy work and mastery in such a short period of time. Like look at Mozart, creating symphonies and when he was just 12 years old.
What makes you particularly interested in Renaissance artists?
Yok: We would look at our drawings and imagine how it would be great if they were worlds that you could go inside, touch and move around. That's where the installation inspiration came from, I guess.
Sheryo: It was kind of natural, really, a progression from 2D to 3D. Yeah.
What about installations are you both most fascinated by?
Yok: We’re working on an immersive installation at the Paddle 8 auction house at the Lower East Side of New York City. We’re creating this nine-foot wooden sculpture of a middle finger with Donald Trump’s tombstone on top.
Sheryo: It’s this pretty big basement spot. We are making sculptures as well as creating the upholstery and benches. It has a really dingy and dark vibe. It’s kind of a lounge room setting. It’s going to launch this coming fall season.
What are you both working on right now?
Archie: We aim to hire people that are extremely multidisciplinary. But at the same time they don't have to have done everything, because in this studio, Jeff and I have not done everything and the principle of this studio is that we won't.
What most people don't have that Dillon, Phil and Ana all have is the rare layer on top of professionalism and the ability to design — the ability to not have ego, to want to learn, and to want to try things that aren’t comfortable. When you’re uncomfortable, good stuff happens because you’re able to fall back on and grow your basic skill set. Dillon didn't design shoes before he got here — he just wanted to. Now he's a shoe designer. To Phil's earlier point, that's why PLAYLAB is a school.
When you decided to grow your team, what qualities were you looking for in new members?
Dillon: Residency programs and other resources for artists — let’s make a school someday.
Jeff: I want to make a penny press called “Penny, Pressed.” The image that goes on the penny press is a penny. I'm not even sure if that’s legal, but it's in the works. I also want to make more art. I think we need more of it and that everybody thrives off of it.
Archie: I want to do it all. I want to see PLAYLAB continue to thrive and grow and morph and change, and I want to be surprised by it every year. I love the projects we work on, but I love the studio more than anything. The studio is the project because it's art.
What's next for PLAYLAB? Is there something that you've always wanted to design through PLAYLAB that you guys haven't touched yet?
By: Keith Estiler
What is your approach to creating these paintings?
What’s your creative process like?
I start off with preliminary sketches or writings for projects and then it will evolve gradually. After that, there's the process of conceptualizing the work and then actually beginning the work. You know, I'm one of those guys who go to the lumber yard, gets wood and builds my own frames as well as stretch my own canvases. I always try to have a real connection with each of my pieces from the beginning. Once I start painting, I get in the flow and sometimes, I forget to eat or drink when the ideas come to me. I can’t really shut my mind off.
I personally don’t pay attention to that stuff. I'm out here painting old people, you know what I mean? I didn't know that was going to be my lane since college. I never wondered, “Who's going to buy that?” It was just what I wanted to create. I think being around so many old people in my life affected my perspective in general. There’s that classic example of getting really old and looking back at your life and asking yourself if you have any regrets. I think the best part of being an artist is the process. The journey.