Waiting. Acrylic and Pastel on Cradled Wood Panels, 34 x 34", 2010 by James Jean. Click image to view source.
You've probably seen James Jean's work around the Internets. Maybe you love it like I do. He seems to draw and paint the other people breathe. It's delicious, mysterious, pleasing and disturbing at once.
I've never seen Jean's work in person. It occurred to me to ask myself why, other than the quality of the work itself, do I enjoy looking at it online?
Because James Jean has an excellent website.
Coco Chanel famously said that when a woman dresses shabbily, people notice her dress, but when she dresses well, people notice the woman. I looked at Jean's drawings and paintings for several years before I noticed how well he presents it online. Here are some reasons why:
Less is more. It's a cliche that independent artists often combat, but Jean lets his work speak for itself. His site design is absolutely spotless. No explanations, no exclamations. Just the art, loud and clear.
Big, beautiful photos He doesn't make us squint to see the work. The photos aren't fuzzy, washed-out, or imbalanced. The Reclamare scarf is a good example.
Up close and personal If we can't see the work in person, we can at least pretend. I wish more artists offered close-up details of their work like this.
Figure studies Because artists never stop learning or practicing, especially when it comes to the figure.
Sketchbooks Two of my favorites: Ottoman, Mole D-2
I'd like to thank the artist for putting all this work where we can see it. Keep it up.