J Louis’ Solo Exhibition opens Friday, September 15th and we will be celebrating with a reception that evening from 6-8:30 pm. J will be in attendance along with his lovely wife, Lilly, and their French bulldog, Halvor.
About the Artist
American artist J Louis was born in Karlsruhe, Germany in 1992. He earned his BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Georgia. He currently lives and works in New York City.
Louis is best known for his oil paintings of female figures, focusing on the exquisite strength and alluring complexity of women juxtaposed with saturated color, flattened space, and texture. His technical painting skills, his eye for capturing an expression that portrays an intimate story, and his material experimentation are combined to create a dynamic harmony between emotion and design. He is fascinated with moments of human connection and that fascination exhibits itself in his work through cleverly posed subjects, use of texture, and color amid abstracted space.
The figures in his paintings are always in contemplative and often curiously surreal poses. They conceal and reveal the environment, dissecting it through perspective, gesture, and form. They act as guides through the painted space; their elongated anatomy highlights divides or unites the composition.
“J Louis’ work is a perfect blend of femininity, strength, and power. The models confidently gaze into the souls of viewers with their soft yet commanding demeanors. I love that Louis’ portrayal goes beyond just a woman’s beauty, they’re also shown as edgy and elegant.”
Taylor Chauncey, Principle Gallery Assistant Director
Mini Interview with J Louis & Assistant Director, Taylor Chauncey
TC: This collection of work is strong and really exhibits your range as an artist, how did you approach this grouping? Did you approach it any differently than you normally would?
JL: Thank you very much for your kind words. I did in fact approach this show differently than many past exhibitions. From a storytelling perspective, I wanted to present a greater breadth of influences than I typically do in a single show. I wanted to play with whatever I felt inspired by at the moment, drawing from influences in modern and contemporary art, old masterworks, mythology, cinema, fashion, my past works, and of course the wonderful people I had the pleasure to collaborate with.
I adjusted my approach to this show in a few ways technically as well. To start, no two canvases are the same dimensions. Every bespoke canvas is prepped with a unique wash of color before deciding what to paint on each substrate. Some green, blue, yellow, etc. (You can see the base color on the perimeter edges of each painting). Prepping the entire show in this way helped to draw out a unique approach to each painting while working.
TC: I’m a true admirer of your work and the way you portray women. Your world is filled with women of power and confidence. So often in “traditional” art women are painted as accessory and/or as unassertive. As you’ve developed your distinctive style, did you intend to abandon this concept, or did it come from your own personal appreciation of the women in your life?
JL: This appreciation and portrayal of powerful women is both the nature of my personal appreciation and a cognisant effort. I have spent my life surrounded by confident independent women so I fundamentally paint what I see. However, I am aware that I need to communicate this idea through the work and not just feel it myself while painting. So there is an intentional effort to communicate how I naturally feel. I want the women in my paintings to be presented in positions of power and also celebrated for powerful demeanors that the feminine may often be associated with. I also think it is important for the viewer to be presented with a dialogue of appreciation and confidence with the figures in my paintings.
TC: Another detail that always strikes me is how you portray the makeup on your models. My mother is a makeup artist so naturally, I developed a fascination. Have you studied makeup application and/or makeup trends?
JL: If you count observation, then yes! I have a great appreciation for the power and beauty of makeup. From the pharaohs of Egypt to the streets of New York, makeup has played a defining role in how we perceive one another and draw attention to our features. I’m particularly drawn to the work of fashion photographer Guy Bourdin, and the colorful makeup of the 60s and 70s.
I used to work with brilliant hair and makeup artists for my preparatory photoshoots. It was an exciting experience to work with such talented teams! Nowadays I often capture images without any makeup and determine whether makeup would compliment the artwork while painting. In this way, I am able to try a variety of concepts if I wish to determine what is most effective. So I guess I am a sort of “flat-plane makeup artist” at times.
TC: The poses in your paintings are high fashion and I know you work with professional models, but how do come to find them?
JL: The beauty of living in New York City is that there is no shortage of talented individuals. So the majority of people I work with to inspire my paintings are professional models who are very comfortable collaborating and working with a camera. The professionals I work with are able to hear about my concept and apply their unique twist to the project. It’s truly collaborative.
I am constantly looking for people who seem to have this magical ability to translate an idea through still images. It’s an incredibly challenging task. I look for models who have a portfolio that shows a breadth of invention, storytelling, and emotion. To find these models I look anywhere one may have a portfolio, be it a modeling website, agency, social media, model reference, you name it.
TC: As an artist who has successfully established your style of painting; what advice would you give to an artist who is trying to evolve their work into something individualized? I believe that’s one of the hardest things for an artist to do, it isn’t just about technique or skill, creating art that characterizes the creator is an art form all its own.
JL: This certainly is the greatest challenge for many artists. How do you determine what comes from within compared to what comes from the outside? In a way, one’s style has always been there, but it’s also constantly evolving, so it’s very challenging to determine its extent (if that makes any sense). I believe that once you get to a place where you are creating, free from any absolute outside reference your style begins to emerge. Often times this is simply the byproduct of putting in the time to make make make.
Many years ago, before I released any work, I spent a decade making hundreds of paintings and drawings. When I finally felt prepared to share my work, I hired a trash removal service to pick up the 10 years’ worth of artwork. It was clear that I needed to put in the time to create and then release the work to the past. None of the old images remain in physical or digital form, however, the lessons learned will forever be within me and applied to future paintings. I think that holding too tightly to the past (or past work) inhibits our development as people and artists.
The most dominant denominator that I see from any unique artist, actor, athlete, scientist, businessperson, or “you-name-it”, is that they put in a tremendous amount of intentional self-aware effort, and kept moving forward.
So my advice for anyone would be to stop looking for a style and start working as diligently as you can manage. Investigate what you like and dissect it. Paint, draw, sculpt, sing, and dance whenever you have the chance. Create what you need to not just what others tell you to. Explore, appreciate what you have experienced, and keep moving! Your style will come from the quality and effort of your hard work.
“After moving to Chicago, I couldn’t stop painting and simply didn’t apply for an Industrial Design position. One day, my wife sat me down and said, “You’re never going to get an Industrial Design job, are you?” I started crying and realised that I had to be an artist. I couldn’t fathom living without making art, was ashamed that in a way I was lying to myself and my wife, and was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to make a living. I got a studio the next week, and a life in art has worked out quite well since then. It has been many years since that day, but I still think of it often.”
J Louis, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Issue 40 pages 125-126.
J Louis’ Solo Exhibition will be on display from Friday, September 15th through Monday, October 9th.
Principle Gallery 