JasonWillome@gmail.com
@jwillomestudio
CV

As an interdisciplinary artist with a focus on exploring the associative properties of materials, Jason Willome has developed a diverse body of work that is deeply rooted in an exploration of the boundaries of painting and drawing, navigating the tension between illusionistic denial and assertion of surface. His recent works, depicting disaster and wreckage, challenge conventional representation, transforming space into fantasy that reflects the softened reality of the current moment.

Jason’s latest projects delve into the nature of Self and seek to explore philosophical interpretations of human consciousness and our connection to the universe. These frameworks examine the liminal realm between the mental and physical, drawing inspiration from childhood explorations, philosophical interpretations of human consciousness, and the metaphorical implications of trepanation and astronomy. This new work seeks to investigate the nature of humanity’s enduring pursuit of transcendence, whether by delving into inner realms or gazing outward into the boundless cosmos in search of connection and understanding.

One of the things I love about painting is what we ignore about painting.

It is a constant negotiation of willful ignorance – a pretense based on constancies and expectations; invisible formats and tacit surfaces; bad habits and self-indulgent beliefs – I love it all.

I work across a range of mediums within this lens, investigating the tension between the mental and the physical, and propping it open with fable and myth. This is most evident in how my work rubs together competing aspects of surface and tableau, exploring moments of paradox and metaphor where the picture crosses into the space of the viewer.

My recent works depict disaster and wreckage – other-worldly, flooded, or snow-filled landscapes, with only traces of human presence – created by pours of house paint, ridiculous faux painting techniques, and other surface artifacts. These approaches attenuate the space and reframe it as fantasy – a reflection of the willful ignorance of the current moment.

Painting is a practice in fiction that mirrors our truth as a species of near-sighted, self-involved pretenders. It’s a spiritual act. It’s a quick grope in the dark. May we know ourselves in time to save ourselves.

Jason Willome was born in rural Texas. He earned a MFA from the University of Colorado Boulder. He has exhibited his work nationally and internationally, and been featured in Beautiful Decay, Glasstire, Agave Magazine, and Revising Lonliness.