JIM JOE makes his way through New York’s streets, marking his path with a series of curious and compelling graffiti acts. His handstyle is decidedly legible, as writing goes, albeit a touch curious with its childlike scrawl. You may have seen it when he did the cover art for Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, the perfect marriage of style and message in a single image.
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It’s an excellent question, one worthy of deeper thought, one that speaks to the presence of absence that makes graffiti one of the most ephemeral and elusive art forms in the world. Graff is what remains after the act is complete, a criminal act to which the artist boldly signs their name, or rather their tag. As the analyst explains in a wall text, “This personality assessment is based on the sample submitted which seems to be unnatural, a ‘persona’ writing. It only reflects one side of the writer’s personality.”
“DISTANCE CAN CREATE CONNECTION” JIM JOE asserts in one work, offering a bridge to cross chasm that exists between the known and unknown elements of life. It is this distance that the analyst bridges with a series of observations that concludes JIM JOE is a, “Cool onlooker—quiet, observing and analyzing life with detached curiosity usually interested in cause and effect, how and why mechanical things work and in organizing facts using logical principles.”
Throughout the exhibition we see examples of this, of a clear and level headed response to the irrational and the extreme. “RESPECT THE INSANE” the artist commands, letting us know just where he stands.
As the analyst observes, “He tends to be an objective observer and a good listener. Clear communication is a priority, contradicted by a strong need for privacy. He’s not ego driven and getting attention is not a priority. He prefers solitude, which may be critical for his work. He has a desire to hide his true feelings and his identity. He is not spontaneous. He has an issue with trust which keeps him isolated.”
Yet it is in this isolation that JIM JOE flourishes, giving voice to ideas that open dialogue and spark ideas. “PICTURES ARE WORTH MORE THAN WORDS” he writes in one frame, drawing attention to the meta-nature of image making. Is a picture of words the words themselves, or is there something deeper and non-linear afoot? It’s impossible to know, but it is compelling to engage and explore the layers that exist below the surface of things.
All artwork: ©JIM JOE, courtesy of The Hole, New York.
Miss Rosen is a New York-based writer, curator, and brand strategist. There is nothing she adores so much as photography and books. A small part of her wishes she had a proper library, like in the game of Clue. Then she could blaze and write soliloquies to her in and out of print loves.
