Jason Godeke
“Descendants”
R.B. Stevenson Gallery, La Jolla, CA
Exhibition opens Saturday, January 11 and closes February 21st
Jason Godeke is an
accomplished classical oil painter who uses the backdrop of still life and
landscapes to play out theatrical narratives that include toy-like figurines
that appear to be part human, and part machine.Though beautifully painted
flowers, fruit and cloud filled landscapes create the atmosphere of the works, there
is the sense of foreboding – and the figures which appear to be mythological
and symbolic, provide a glimpse into Godeke’s personal journey. “Contemplating My Inert Psyche”, his largest
painting in the show, is of two men - one who is a human, dressed figure and
the other a copy of the man, naked, who appears to be made of rock and metal. The
two who are facing each other, with symbolically placed oversized fruit between
them, are set against a warm-toned bucolic landscape with dramatic lighting
applied to the figures. Titles of the paintings like “Passing the Burden”,
“Adrift”, “Wandering Companions”, “Setting Forth Alone”, and “Torpor” all seem
to provide clues to the themes of his work. His use of a combination of realism
and surrealism serve to explore the personal challenges and complexities of
being human in our contemporary world.
 |
| Contemplating My Inert Psyche oil on canvas 70" x 78" |
 |
| Windfall oil on canvas 22" x 24" |
No comments:
Post a Comment