Shelf Still Life

January 2 – February 3, 2014

Jonas Wood combines modernist abstraction with pop figuration in his densely patterned paintings of vernacular culture. The artist is known for his compositions of private spaces, such as domestic interiors and personal acquaintances, and sporting events. Like David Hockney and his flat, large-scale collages of Polaroid prints, Wood takes multi-angle photographs of his subjects and then cuts and pastes the images together to produce his fractured paintings.

For the High Line, Wood’s new work depicts a group of potted plants resting on a wooden shelf. Wood’s interest in figuration extends to his inanimate objects, which gain distinct personalities through the artist’s brush. While tied to the natural world in terms of subject matter, the plants are decontextualized against the neutral background. The plant motif on the billboard also extends to the plantings on the High Line and the neighboring architecture of New York City. The lush green leaves and bright colors of the pots contrast with the neutral hues of the surrounding winter brush, acting as a reminder of the greenery that populates the elevated park in warmer months.

Organized by Cecilia Alemani, Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Director & Chief Curator.

Photos by Timothy Schenck.