 Sunset Hackle Justin Jacobson oil on canvas, 36" x 26"; $1450 Exhibited in Under the Influence |
 The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog Caspar David Friedrich Inspiration piece for Justin Jacobson for the Under the Influence show, Fall 2016 |
"Caspar David Friedrich explored the idea of the sublime by positioning the figures of his paintings as witnesses to the power of nature. Friedrich's painting Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, places the figure in the center of the composition standing in the foreground on a precipice turned away from us. The figure stands in audience to the grandeur and force of nature.
Sunset Hackle (Silver Lake Blue to Orange) plays off of Friedrich's tableau. The subject remains the viewer however the figure/ground distinctions are conflated. The landscape is split into repeated horizontal shapes as the colors of the sunset are reflected in and highlight the figure. The figure also dominates the picture plane, becoming a landscape to be viewed in turn by the painting's audience creating a doubling of landscape and a doubling of viewership. The painting deflates the romantic notion of nature's sublimity and proposes that the contemporary perspective of the sublime is overwhelmed by its banality."
If you are interested in purchasing this work, please contact Justin Jacobson or visit justinmicahjacobson.com.