JERSEY CITY, NJ.- Jonathan LeVine Projects is presenting Armor, a solo exhibition of new work by Erik Jones. In conjunction with the show, the gallery will release a limited edition print by the artist in mid-January – more details to follow.

Indeed, Jones’ subjects appear to be wandering about in a dream kingdom, and the clouds of color permit both reality and abstraction to coexist in a sea of fashion-like see-throughs. He depicts glamorous, divine Adonises and Venuses, their beauty pushing beyond their painted skin, asking whether they are mind or body à la Descartes. - Deianira Tolema, Author

Jones returns to the gallery for his second solo exhibition comprised of mixed-media works that masterly blend hyperrealism and geometric expressionism. Nude female subjects are the calming foreground in a hurricane of vibrant colors and shapes, creating non-representational motifs that engulf his models in a dreamlike universe. In Armor, Jones continues to develop his conceptual narratives and complex technical process while focusing solely on the aesthetic of beauty.

Applying the skills he acquired early in his career as an illustrator, Jones uses an array of medium, including watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, wax pastels and oil paint. His expert use of materials imbues the work with a heightened sense of realism, allowing each photorealistic subject to function as an anchor within a sea of abstract forms and patterns.

The juxtaposition of abstraction and hyperrealism in Armor fosters tension between the familiar and the fantastical. This feeling is heightened in a selection of work where subjects are no longer submerged but instead become one with the artist’s surreal interventions. Anatomical parts have evolved into semi-recognizable amalgams of bright colors, reminiscent of Matisse and his interpretation of the female form, and are indicative of a new direction in Jones’ iconic style.

Erik Jones was born in 1982 in St. Petersburg, Florida and is currently based in Illinois He received a bachelor’s degree from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2007. Early in his career he primarily worked creating cover illustrations for comic books and toured the United States showing at different pop culture and art conventions. His work has been exhibited at galleries in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and London. In 2015, he had his debut solo show in Europe at Dorothy Circus Gallery (Rome), followed by his debut solo exhibition at Jonathan LeVine Gallery (New York City) in 2016.