Somewhere: Jason Bard Yarmosky

May 19, 2017 – September 2, 2017

Somewhere, a series of paintings, drawings and video by Brooklyn, NY-based artist Jason Bard Yarmosky, explores issues of aging and, specifically, dementia and Alzheimer’s. A longtime subject of Yarmosky’s paintings is his grandmother who has played an integral role in the evolution of these works. Depicted with realistic precision, she travels through these compositions wearing assorted costumes and masks imbued with symbolism. Every feature, from wrinkles of skin to the folds of varied fabrics, is meticulously rendered. The artist states, “These large-scale portraits study expressions of dementia, confronting the viewer with psychological vulnerability. They respond to the loss of control and the subconscious mind, speaking to a dream-like state –a place intangible to those not experiencing it.”

A focal point of the exhibition is Wintered Fields, a large-scale triptych measuring six by twelve feet, that depicts the artist’s grandmother donning superhero attire. The uncanny juxtaposition of the elderly subject, who seems to be superimposed against a background of a gesturally-rendered, snow-covered field, creates an unsettling psychological tension. Also featured are several graphite drawings–some studies for larger works–that reflect the artist’s keen ability to capture the figure with striking clarity and sensitivity.

Jason Bard Yarmosky (American, born 1987) Wintered Fields, 2015, Oil on canvas – Courtesy of the artist and Aeroplastics Contemporary, Brussels