The Sundance Kid, Jay Wilkinson
People love to refer to things that are hip and cool, but not yet mainstream, as their city’s “best kept secrets.” While he is certainly hip, and most definitely cool, if you think Jay Wilkinson is a ‘secret’ of the Fort Worth art scene, then you simply haven’t been paying attention.
Photo: Mouty Shackelford
Wilkinson’s works not only cover the gamut of artistic disciplines, they have covered a huge swath of the city during his electrifying career. Those who are familiar with his traditional painting style often compare it with Vermeer and Frans Hals, Dutch masters who produced dark, saturated portraits of everyday life, except that instead of a Milkmaid, Jay’s painting is of a group of girls playing Twister. Instead of a devilish smile on a 17th century Gypsy Girl, Jay’s subject is a lounging man in green, marijuana leaf printed socks, exhaling a giant puff of weed-smoke without a care in the world. It’s a modern take on the Golden Age. But that’s just the beginning. Many people will also recall the giant, towering, purple creature that once paraded down the street at Arts Goggle. That was Jay, too. Maybe you attended an art collective show that featured out-of-the-box, utterly bizarre paintings, sculptures, and installations that would make Lady Gaga’s wardrobe designer proud? You probably saw something from him there, too. And what about murals? Surely, he doesn’t do that kind of work, too? Yep, some truly compelling murals in Fort Worth have his signature on them as well.
Photo: Mouty Shackelford
Art is subjective, of course, but there are some artists who are just so dang good that to pretend otherwise doesn’t just reveal a lack of taste & sophistication on the critic’s part, it seems to challenge a fixed belief that everyone else has already agreed upon as fact. It’s like, you are allowed to say that you’re not a big fan of The Beatles, but to question their talent or unquestionable impact on music is sacrilege. Suggesting that Jay Wilkinson is anything less than an extraordinarily gifted talent would feel similarly incomprehensible. With all that talent, and his ability and willingness to throw himself into different art forms, it should come as no surprise that Jay found himself in a position to work with Sasha Bass and the management group behind downtown Fort Worth’s Sundance Square, when they decided that it was time to bring a little more culture and a lot more art into the Square.
The first order of business was to set up a space for the artist to work and dream, but Jay wanted it to be more than just a nameless, brick-and-mortar artist’s studio in the recesses of an underutilized building. He wanted a space that could be seen from the street as people walked by, a location that could be multi-purpose and multi-functional. Something that would allow residents and tourists alike to see first-hand that art in Fort Worth was valued. The result is Dang Good Candy. Located in the heart of Sundance Square, Jay’s studio has ample space for an artist to work, but it can also be modified into a gallery space to showcase his and other artist’s work.
Photo: Mouty Shackelford
JAY: We just built a couple temporary walls for a kind of raw gallery space in the front. I want to use it for a kind of rough-around-the-edges show space for artists who have never [had a solo show].
MOUTY: Tell me about “Dang Good Candy”? Where does the name come from?
JAY: The name comes from my former art partner who passed away, Jeremey Joel. He used to send me this video of him popping out and saying, “That’s dang good candy!” It’s like a compliment to the stuff we’re doing inside, and it’s kind of fun.
During our conversation, Jay and I took a walk around Sundance Square, where he showed me a collection of art projects that his patrons, the Bass family, have already commissioned. They include several murals, as well as an installation that will feature hanging spheres and an ever-changing light show. Some are visible from the street, others are tucked in alleyways and other hard to find places, just waiting to be discovered. Jay says that doing this residency has allowed him to embrace a ‘jack-of-all-trades” approach to his art, as some of the projects have taken him out of his comfort zone.
Photo: Mouty Shackelford
MOUTY: Many artists will find the one thing they are good at and stick with it exclusively. You don’t.
JAY: Honestly, when I do one thing too long, I get bored. If I’m doing a sculpture or some big installation for a while, I’ll crave getting back in the studio alone with a podcast and my paint. But after a while, I miss being up on a ladder, sweating, and doing a mural. It’s a manic thing.
One thing is certain, he is a serious artist who very intentionally doesn’t take himself too seriously. Perhaps nothing captures his self-effacing view of his own talent better than the name he chose for his first solo exhibit at Fort Works Art, “Everybody Poops”. However much he may claim to be ‘just another artist’, I discovered that he actually has a respectable number of internet followers in Germany.
JAY: I have a weirdly big fan base in Germany, and they reach out all the time. It’s really sweet and it’s like, kids who say, “Hey man, that’s cool. How did you do this?” And I’ll write them back and say, “well, you do this and then this.”
While his current work has been focused on public, outdoor pieces, Wilkinson says that he feels a certain kinship with the collectors and buyers of his paintings, and relishes the opportunity to go to their homes and participate in the placement and hanging of the art
MOUTY: Have you stayed connected with any of the people who buy your paintings, or do you ever get the chance to go and help with the install when you sell a piece of your art?
JAY: I love doing that! I love going to their houses and putting it up. Especially if it’s a high dollar piece, and someone has spent a big portion of their finances to have this work, and then it’s a big celebration, so I love to be there for that…and it’s flattering.
As he reflects on what he’s done, and what more there is to do, it is not lost on him that with every contribution he makes to the Square with the guidance and patronage of Sasha Bass, whose passion for contemporary art is equal to her passion for revitalizing downtown, they are bringing more culture, more eyeballs, and ultimately, more recognition to the city.
As I end my chat with Jay Wilkinson, I have the feeling that I have just spent time with an old friend, not that I have just spent a few hours with one of our great artists, and that is just part of his charm. He’s a big heart with a big soul, a man who loves hats and hates shoes. Perhaps most importantly, he’s someone who is keenly aware that he may no longer be one of Fort Worth’s ‘best kept secrets’, but he’s far more interested in using his acclaim to showcase the work of his friends and other aspiring artists whose work he admires. His tendency towards benevolence over self-promotion was made crystal clear recently, when he chose to formally open his doors and introduce Dang Good Candy to the public with a solo show…of another artist’s work.
Photo: Mouty Shackelford
- To learn more, view 🎥 → JAY WILKINSON video on Artsy Scoop!
