Carbon and Canvas…

Using acetylene and gouache, JP Long challenges the traditional tools of the painter. Trading the brush for a flame, and paints for water and ash, Long’s abstracted landscapes are fearless reflections of the performative processes of his work. Dynamic yet contemplative, C2H2 26 captures a frozen movement—an artifact of some fossilized Promethean fire. Exploring the dualities of strength and vulnerability, power and intimacy, Long’s work is a mirror for the human condition. Harnessing the primordial elements of fire, water, earth, and air, his hauntingly poignant paintings explore the cyclic nature of civilization. It is no coincidence that Long exploits industrial age tools like the acetylene torch and the angle grinder while living in the heart of technological innovation. Sensitive to contemporary issues, Long’s hopeful dystopias—or tragic edens—directly reference the evolving landscape of the Bay Area, as poverty and displacement has contributed to the shifting movements of populations.

Johnny Sampson
Director of Exhibitions, Catalina Island Museum