Liquid Color

Sugarlift is pleased to present Jimi Gleason: Liquid Color, on view at the High Line Nine: 507 West 27th Street, New York, NY, from February 28 - March 27, 2024. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, March 7th at 6:00 pm.

Intrigued by the interlinking phenomena of perception, environment, and engagement, Gleason presents an intuitive new body of paintings with an open-ended approach. The alchemy of silver nitrate on canvas plays an important role in this dialogue of light and reflection. The strength in these paintings lies between the contrast of chaos and control: by not applying an image straight to the surface of the plane, Gleason instead allows a form to emerge as the viewer absorbs the piece. Using a silver-deposit surface coat, he generates paintings that are ethereal and glassy, sheets of solid vapor which react to the light of the environment. Bright yellows, rich ceruleans, glowing oranges, and cool lime greens bring depth to the lustrous surfaces, which seem to emanate from within.

“I use paint in a determined way, which means the physical and metaphysical force of my paintings is a direct result of my intuitive process. By finishing with an iridescent surface coat, I inject a certain presence, bringing the light through, eradicating the very surface. This creates a depth of visual space that responds to both the play of light and the location of the viewer. Forms emerge and recede within shifting fields of color as the paintings simultaneously react to and modify their physical environment. By letting the image gradually evolve through the process, the viewer is given the opportunity to explore a dynamic expression of space articulated through color and form.” - Jimi Gleason.