Studio Visits: Artist Jason Bard Yarmosky on the Impermanence of Human Life

The New York-born artist celebrates old age and cultural diversity in his realist oil paintings. HYPEBEAST Features - Go in-depth and learn more about the culture. [HYPEBEAST]( [Features]( January 10, 2020 [Studio Visits: Artist Jason Bard Yarmosky on the Impermanence of Human Life]( The New York-born artist celebrates old age and cultural diversity in his realist oil paintings. "Batmen" by Jason Bard Yarmosky (2019, oil on canvas) Jason Yarmosky uses his realist oil paintings to explore themes of age, mortality and cultural diversity. The New York-born artist lends most of the inspiration behind his compositions to the close bond he had with his grandparents, in particular his late grandmother who suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s. Somewhere (2017) portrays her wearing a faded unicorn mask to symbolize the intangible state that she was in while touching upon fleeting moments in life. “These are people who I'm so close with and I've known them the longest in my entire life.” he explained to HYPEBEAST. “My grandmother had dementia, and it made me recognize the impermanence of all the relationships that we encounter.” Last summer, Yarmosky self-launched an exhibition at the famed Double Diamond House in Westhampton Beach, New York. The presentation entitled “Lovers and Friends” featured a total of seven paintings that evoked lessons learned from his grandparents who “lived with an immortal attitude,” as he explained. For the exhibition as a whole, Yarmosky wanted to embrace the relationships he had with people of all different ages and cultures, with close friends of his also acting as subjects for his works. Yarmosky continues to push the limits of traditional portrait painting and drawing in his new works. His paintings and drawings have been exhibited across the globe and stateside, including recent solo exhibitions at the Huntington Museum of Art in West Virginia, and the University of Maine Museum of Art in Bangor. We sat down with the artist in his Brooklyn studio to discuss some of the major concepts and influences in his work. Read the full interview below. Eddie Lee | Hypebeast I think the best part of being an artist is the process. The journey. HYPEBEAST: One of your biggest shows last year was “Lovers and Friends” at the iconic Double Diamond House. Tell us about the notable influences surrounding the body of work that were presented at the show. Jason Yarmosky: It was a collaborative effort between me and my best friend. We wanted to bring together the different people that inspired us in our everyday lives. For me, For me, it came at a time which was right after my grandmother passed. This idea of impermanence and relationships, is that a concept you've always explored in your work? The focus of my work is always personal. I think that's one of the more important things I examine in my practice. I don't keep a diary or journal, but my work becomes personal because I put a lot of who I am into it. When someone looks at these images, they might encounter playful elements in them. But, there are underlying socio-political issues hidden within [the compositions]. For instance, we don’t celebrate old age in our society, we celebrate youth. These paintings have been an outlet for me to examine these issues. It’s an ongoing dialogue that I have with myself and with the outside world, you know? [READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON HYPEBEAST →]( [banner](   [More HYPEBEAST Features]( [[8 Drops You Don't Want to Miss This Week] [FASHION]( [8 Drops You Don't Want to Miss This Week]( [[These Are the Must-See Movies and TV Shows Premiering in January] [FOOTWEAR]( [Take a Look Inside Louis Vuitton's Footwear Atelier]( [Get The App Free on iOS and Android]( Follow --------------------------------------------------------------- 2019 HYPEBEAST Limited. All Rights Reserved [Manage Subscriptions]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to HYPEBEAST's marketing emails. You can unsubscribe from us any time by clicking [here](. It may take 48 hours to complete the unsubscribe process. Contact subscription@hypebeast.com for assistance on any enquiries. Our Mailing Address: HYPEBEAST, 10F, KC 100, 100 Kwai Cheong Road, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong