21/11/23 - The quote surely belongs to the first decades of the 20th century, when art criticism defined the future of an artist. Contemporaneity displaced criticism as it used to be and today those in the know make a review or description of what is exhibited, based on the history of art, the biography of the artist and the general aesthetics or philosophical idea behind it. But it by no means has the influence it used to have. What defines success is the market.

Will St. John, who is a favorite of the New York Art market, found his place in the art world with impeccably executed paintings that evoke the Renaissance. His path began in Florence and the rest of Europe where he studied the technique of the 16th century masters, achieving such meticulousness that some of them appear, from a distance, to be photographs of ancient porcelain pieces. However, as soon as we get closer, the brushstroke reveals a line that is as rich as it is intricate. 

 

Baby, by Will St. John (2023)

Technique: oil on canvas / Measures: 188 x 147.3 cm

Saatchi Yates Gallery, London

 

Big Boi, by Will St. John (2023)

Technique: oil on canvas / Measures: 149,9 x 124,5cm

Saatchi Yates Gallery, London

 

Long Nose, by Will St. John (2023)

St. John also paints Drag Queens, trans models next to porcelain or portrays them as if they were frozen in time, as if the person had lived in times past. And again, the refinement is astonishing. The subjects were relevant figures from the Bohemian New York scene, positively surprising the spectators. 

 

Deer Lady, de Will St. John (2023)