August 20 - September 17, 2022
In Floating World, Austin-based artist Jason Brooks references his study of Tao Te Ching philosophy using forms and figuration in an imagined world. Using layers of blurred and brushed paint, figures radiate between objects and colors to form dream-like environments.
Following his move to Texas from his native Florida in the late nineties, Brooks found community in a group of tattoo artists creating a bold, expressive look dubbed “Texas Style”. Brooks shares, “In my youth I was heavily involved in skateboarding and the punk rock scene. My art reflected these worlds, mostly based in illustration, leading to a thirty-year career in tattooing.” In 2011, the artist exhibited his tattoo themed works culminating in an interactive fashion show at the Dallas Contemporary.
A return to his Tao Te Ching practice moved Brooks to explore more traditional themes relating to nature. His time spent in South Florida & Key West carried his love of the ocean into his paintings. The artist continued working on transitional bodies of work on the canvas versus human skin.
Gorillas as subjects also began to emerge in the artist’s work – initially from tattoo designs but soon evolving into symbolic emblems on the canvas. Brooks says, “I like to put gorillas in exaggerated scenarios, often where they could be replaced with their human relatives. They dominate in nature as well as the picture plane with their monolithic body mass against fields of color activating the surface. Their forms are exaggerated and emblematic versus photorealistic.”
“Creating images of water, clouds, human forms along with gorillas capture the idea of surrendering to one’s path. These ‘floating worlds’ thread life’s fragility and adaptive qualities with human nature.”
This will be Brooks’ first solo exhibition for his fine art practice.
Jason Brooks, a self-taught artist draws on his love of nature and exploration of traditional mediums to create his new series of works on canvas. He is also a tattoo artist, avid traveler, and owner of Great Wave Tattoo in Austin, where he lives with his wife and two pugs.
Reception: August 20, 2022 | 5–8 pm
2123 Sylvan Avenue, Dallas TX 75208
Dallas, 75208 Texas
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