Jay Wilkinson
Jay Wilkinson July 2021
Interview and video: Mouty Shackelford, Artsy Scoop
Wilkinson’s works not only cover the gamut of artistic disciplines, they have covered a huge swath of the city during his electrifying career. Those who are familiar with his traditional painting style often compare it with Vermeer and Frans Hals, Dutch masters who produced dark, saturated portraits of everyday life, except that instead of a Milkmaid, Jay’s painting is of a group of girls playing Twister. Instead of a devilish smile on a 17th century Gypsy Girl, Jay’s subject is a lounging man in green, marijuana leaf printed socks, exhaling a giant puff of weed-smoke without a care in the world. It’s a modern take on the Golden Age. But that’s just the beginning. Many people will also recall the giant, towering, purple creature that once paraded down the street at Arts Goggle. That was Jay, too. Maybe you attended an art collective show that featured out-of-the-box, utterly bizarre paintings, sculptures, and installations that would make Lady Gaga’s wardrobe designer proud? You probably saw something from him there, too. And what about murals? Surely, he doesn’t do that kind of work, too? Yep, some truly compelling murals in Fort Worth have his signature on them as well.