Jay Payton

Fontanelle: a membrane-covered opening in bone or between bones, specifically any of the spaces closed by membranous structures between the uncompleted angles of the parietal bones and the neighboring bones of a fetal or young skull.

In the beginning, there was nothing. Silence, darkness, and desolate lands existed as the predecessor of what would develop to be one of the most vast ecosystems of the known universe. With the passing of billions of years, prokaryotic organisms begin to develop within the depths of the sea. As they nourish themselves with carbon emitted from the atmosphere, they begin to grow larger, more complex.

Advancing through many stages of adaptation and evolution, these single-celled life forms have developed into one of the most intelligent beings in the Universe, the Homo sapien (human). This creature possesses access to a realm of intellect incomparable to any other being within its ecosystem. It is this distinctive trait that has allowed him to progress the microcosm in which he exists to suit his needs and ambitions. As he remains the head of his ecosystem, the question is, proposed:

Who are the predators of the Homo sapiens?

The answer is quite simple.

Themselves.

Homo sapiens have become not only a physical threat to themselves , but to every life force within their habitat. Exploitation of the entire system has been forced into the forefront of his purpose. A humble, nurturing background traded for greed and destruction.

Who can save the humans?

Another question with a rather simple and straightforward answer:

Themselves.

This exhibition is a glance into the beginnings of the Homo sapien. Exploring the earliest moments of his journey into the unknown that surrounds him. Placing the microscope on his rise, while also questioning the development of his current methods of existence.

Today, Homo sapiens are reproduced at the rate of roughly 36,700 newborn life forms per day. The possibility that his savior is currently walking the earth is a fair assumption. By tradition, he receives the initial kiss of his mother atop his head after he is thrust into new life. It is at this moment, that the potential for his journey begins to unfold.

Jay Payton (b. 1992, Atlanta, GA) is a painter living and working in New York, NY. Influenced by artists such as Jack Whitten, Sam Gilliam, and Anselm Kiefer, Payton works on the floor, making each densely textured painting over the course of several months. Contemplating the development of human experience through biological and technical abstraction, Payton layers thick oil paint with materials such as crinkled sheets of plastic, Kozo paper, and aluminum. Despite their formidable large scale, the surfaces appear fragile and ephemeral, hinting (with the help of poetic texts and titles) towards primordial spaces of both flourishing and entropic systems.

Payton holds an MFA from California College of the Arts and a BA from Georgie State University. Recent solo exhibitions include Gern en Regalia, New York (2021); Delaplane Gallery, San Francisco (2021); Rørvig Contemporary, Denmark (2020); Et. Al, San Francisco (2019); and Mammal Gallery, Atlanta (2018). Group exhibitions include Wattis Institute, San Francisco (2020); Art in General, Brooklyn (2019); Leo Gallery, Hong Kong (2019); Syndkt, Mexico City (2019); Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta (2018); and Camayuhs, Atlanta (2018). Payton has forthcoming solo exhibitions at Sea View, Los Angeles, CA in February and 15 Orient, New York, NY in September 2025.