THAT’S UNREAL, Robert C. Jackson’s seventh solo exhibition at Gallery Henoch opens November 9 from 6-8 pm in the heart of New York City’s Chelsea arts district.
Jackson has spent his career painting still life’s that utilize humor to comment on various aspects of the human experence. For Jackson, balloon animals, figurines, wooden crates, fruit, and vintage logos all come together to create visual striking images that offer playful visual puns for the viewer to decipher.
Spaghetti (2023) is a classic Jackson image which consists of a group of balloon dogs feasting on an overflowing bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, all of which is happening on a vintage diner table. One dog, painted in bright, primary red waits below, collecting scraps that happen to fall from the meal above. While technically a still-life, the painting is seemingly full of movement and activity.
Another painting, Fertile Soil (2023), depicts a potted plant resting on a stack of books about individual artists, including Wayne Thiebaud, Claudio Bravo, John Currin, Lucian Freud, and Willem De Kooning. A closer look reveals the plant is actually made of paint brushes, growing from the inspiration found beneath them.
Shadow (2023) is another gem. Small trompe l’oeil paintings of red apples are shown taped to a wall in the manner of that genre. Hanging from a string amidst the studies is an actual green apple. All of this is contrasted against the shadow of the artist. looming large in the composition.
