California artist Jesse Aldana uses the ritual of sunrise and sunset to capture the spirit of the west. Using a hybrid of realist brushwork and an almost surreal absence of humans, Jesse documents residential neighborhoods, main thoroughfares and coastal scenes across the great city of Los Angeles. Reminiscent of Ed Ruscha, Jesse’s work acts as both a record of the current landscape as well as a metaphor for the openness and sense of opportunity that continually draw settlers to the west coast. Jesse says of California, “the sky is an overwhelming presence.” He frames his big sky compositions with narrow palm trees and low-slung buildings at the periphery of the canvas to illustrate the scale of the scene. In doing so, the viewer can begin to appreciate the sentiment of the final frontier. Jesse works from a home studio in Los Angeles using photographs that he takes of the surrounding area as source material. He holds a BA from Brown University and an MFA from The New York Academy of Art. He regularly exhibits at the Beverly Hills Art Show.
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About The Artist
Artist Statement
The type of images of sunsets and sunrises in these paintings is familiar to most people, and especially so to those with access to social media, where we share photos of mornings and evenings in far-flung places endlessly. With that in mind there is nothing extraordinary or singular in any such representation, unless it is in the affirmation of a wildly common thread of humanness that the daily events inspire. Perhaps there is something intrinsically moving in the infinitely varied cycle that plays out in the atmosphere and in our apprehension of it.
It is the apprehension of our contextual world that I seek to address with these paintings. In documenting these images I employ a technique that suggests that the shortest distance between two points (your pupil and mine) is best bridged by an economy of brush strokes. In doing so I acknowledge the conceit that the camera eye is objective and therefore able to be readily and widely appropriated. An event does not become history except by its entry into the public record and even then it is not useful unless it is read and interpreted. It may be that in this changeable, ephemeral and esoteric world a document is the most egalitarian agent of faith in humanity that we own.
The paintings shown here were originally inspired some years ago by an El Nino weather pattern that brought a season of dramatic skies to Los Angeles. Over the last year, faced with the pandemic-era stresses of isolation, separation and detachment, and with a limited ability to travel for inspiration, I have found that my “inner eye” has asserted itself in arranging the compositions of my paintings. Now my brushes are guided by imagination as well as photo reference while I draw landscapes to evoke memory and hope.
Artist Background
New York Academy of Art
Master of Fine Arts, 1997
Brown University
Bachelor of Arts, 1993
Hear What Collectors Say About Jesse's Work
I was immediately struck by the brooding sense of this piece. It feels simultaneously set in reality and a mythical realm, as I believe was Jesse's intention, by his write up. The softened colors and lines lends to the misty, ethereal quality of the subject and I enjoy losing myself to unknown stories lurking off canvas. Even the crows and hawk, I feel, have more of story arc than the initial impression of territorial irk.
Hi Brandon, Thank you for your interest in this painting. I would say that, overall, the painting tends more pink than orange. There are definitely moments where yellow infuses and almost turns the accents on some of the clouds a peachy orange as you point out, but generally the painting is laid out in gradations of coral red. I hope this helps! thank you!
Hello Jesse, Is your "red sky painting" generally pink or orange. The photo images of the piece show both colors. Thanks
Hi! Thank you for the kind words. Carmel is such a beautiful place of thought-provoking splendor - it was really fun to make a painting that helps me relive the experience of standing on that beach, watching color bloom through the mist. best, Jesse
Jesse, "Carmel" is a terrific painting. Well done.
I love them! They're more beautiful than expected.Thank you very much!
Thank you so much for your support David! I'm glad that the paintings resonate with you and are a good fit for your home! I agree, the skies over LA make it a dreamy place to live and work. Thank you!
Love it!
a modern master! Nice to see the same light, air and atmosphere that I see living In LA put down on canvas in such a real way.. dreamy way
Hi Christine! Thank you! I'm so glad you like it. Happy Holidays!
This is many times more beautiful in reality than the website showed. I love it. Thank you.
Hi Frank, Thanks so much! I don't have anything coming up on the gallery side, but I can definitely keep you posted if the occasion should arise. Thank you!
I'm sure I will be very satisfied with your work "Fontenoy". Any possibility you will exhibit your creations in a Los Angeles gallery soon?
Thank you very much, Cara. You are far too kind, but I am thrilled that you are happy with the paintings. Carel Fabritius' little painting, "The Goldfinch" has long been a favorite of mine and continues to inspire my work in its balance between economy of means and depth of experience. Thank you for the support and sentiment. Cheers!
Thank you, Mr. Aldana, for the lush still lifes you painted. They were delivered last week, and I repainted a wall before hanging them. I look at them, mesmerized. When I explore the detail, I am reminded of Donna Tartt's description of the perfect still life in her book, The Goldfinch. Mille mercis.