The emotive and raw paintings of artist Jason Goldberg touches on the paper- thin veil between the beautiful and the grotesque. Often featuring sensuous portraits of women and beasts on wood and paper, the figures appear abstract, juxtaposed with animal jaw bones or the deep eye sockets of human skulls. Shrouded in fluid washes of “blood,” a technical choice that adds a nuanced element of motion to the work, the paintings oscillate between horror and intense, convulsive beauty. The work, rendered in a repetitious, visceral color palette, bravely tackles controversial themes such as violence, religion and suicide with an unflinching, confrontational stance, illuminating the work as a true tour de force. View more of the evocative work below.
* Last two images courtesy of Adam Wallacavage.