In his new drawings and paintings, human figures made up of rich fragmented colors float, twist, and swim in a watery medium amidst bits of rope, knots, string, and seaweed.

Unlike Copeland’s previous work, based on drawings from his journals, the new work is stripped of literal references to his everyday environments. He sets his figures, still in formation, adrift to convey the periods of uncertainty and transition which are common to the human experience. The resulting body of work is spare, yet dense with emotion.

Jon Copeland lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.