Mississippi
Philip Jackson, Transitory Reflections: Artichoke and Plum, oil, 16 x 18.
What inspired your winning entry? This painting is part of my current series, Transitory Reflections. In these paintings I am forming parallels between human life and the life of objects through an ultra-realistic examination of their human potential. In an attempt to redefine each object’s natural purpose, the emphasis is placed on the exchange between them. I present these objects not as insignificant things, but as if each one has its own destiny. Their existence parallels the brevity of human life. The painting’s illumination is meant to be alluring to the viewer. Bathed in light, each one reveals its own mysteries. The details of their surfaces reveal signs of a life lived—dents, bruises, and more. It is as if they were having a conversation of their own long before we approached the picture. Though presented in the traditional format of the still life, consider that the moment is still but the objects are breathing, moving, and living. They mirror human life.
Where did you study art? I received my bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, OH, and my master’s degree in fine arts from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH.
How would you describe your style? I think of my paintings as a mixture of intense observation and grand illusion.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? There are technicians and there are artists. Which one are you?
What’s the most meaningful recognition you’ve received for your artwork? In 2008 I was the youngest artist ever to receive a major museum exhibition as part of the Martha and Merritt deJong Memorial Artist-in-Residence award at the Evansville Museum in Indiana. One of my largest paintings from this exhibition was acquired by the museum and is now part of its permanent collection.
What galleries represent your work? McMurtrey Gallery, Houston, TX.
This story was featured in the December 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art December 2013 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!
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