Miami-based artist Jason Seife models his canvases after traditional Persian rugs, rendering dizzyingly complex patterns in ink and acrylic paint. Each piece is rich in elaborate detail, with floral motifs and geometrical shapes nimbly structured into ornate symmetries.
The series is inspired by the history of classic carpet designs, with particular appreciation for ancient weavers’ abilities to signify the specific styles and tastes of their nomadic tribes through their particular choices of pattern and color. Accordingly, Seife aims to inform every painting with a distinct mood or mindset, as if its aesthetic flavor represents his emotional environs during its rendering. These moods are woven into his tableaus, too symbolic and subtle to pinpoint with certainty, but lending each canvas its own tenor: some buoyant with bright tints, others darker and more enigmatic.
Seife is represented by Robert Fontaine Gallery, where you can view his latest work. If it’s hard to believe that these “textiles” truly are made with paint, you can catch glimpses of his behind-the-scenes process (which requires fastidious sketching and a fine brush) on his Instagram page.
Above image via Robert Fontaine Gallery
Above image via Robert Fontaine Gallery
Image via Robert Fontaine Gallery
Jason Seife: Instagram
via [Colossal]
All images via Jason Seife unless otherwise stated.