Inside the Studio

Visit with Jackson Joyce

A large installation comprised of individual paintings of figures in a grassy park by artist Jackson Joyce.

Jackson Joyce invites us inside his Brooklyn studio and walks us through the process of creating his newest large-scale installation.

Green underpainting by artist Jackson Joyce of figures laying in a grassy field.

An uncompleted version of artist Jackson Joyce's large-scale installation comprised of individual paintings of figures in a grassy park.

Artist Jackson Joyce in his studio standing on a black box, painting figures on his large-scale installation comprised of individual paintings.

Inspired by Georges Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Jackson has created a monumental installation comprised of individual paintings.

The obvious homage for the series is Georges Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”, but there are also references (directly or indirectly) to David Hockney and Pierre Bonnard, as well as some poets- Ben Lerner, Hera Lindsay Bird, Fernando Pessoa, Chen Chen. I learn as much about painting from writers as I do from painters. It’s not a one-to-one connection, but rather one sentiment inspires another. I’m trying to create the same feeling their art stirred in me.
Jackson Joyce

A close-up of painting by artist Jackson Joyce with a figure laying out an orange picnic blanket in a grassy field.

A large-scale installation comprised of multiple paintings of figures sitting in a grassy park by artist Jackson Joyce leaning against a white wall in his studio.

A close-up of artist Jackson Joyce painting figures in a grassy field.

Pulling inspiration from his life growing up in the South, Jackson’s paintings tell nostalgic and personal stories of past, present and future.

I wanted to make something that contrasts these self-contained moments with a larger, over-aching tableau. It mirrors the negative space between the individual and our shared reality.
Jackson Joyce

Artist Jackson Joyce in his studio, sitting on top of a black box and painting figures on his large-scale installation.

A close-up of a boy's face within a figurative painting by artist Jackson Joyce.

Incorporating landscapes and figures into his paintings, Jackson seeks to create a world where things look the way they feel.

We are in the middle of a nourishing moment in contemporary art, a small soft movement of romantic artworks that are so knowingly sentimental they almost wink at you. The world rearranged itself, and we want to know simple things can still be beautiful-- however quaint that sounds. Like, I might laugh at myself painting flowers, but that doesn't mean I’m not dead serious.
Jackson Joyce