Australian Open 4

A snapshot of the expectant court, Jonas Wood’s Australian Open 4 revels in its playful details and poignant metaphor in the calm before the chaos of the big match. Wood astutely captures the royal blue of the Plexicushion acrylic surface gracing Melbourne Park and the simple commercial messages announcing the event’s sponsor in the background of each shot. The artist’s unique perspective stretches throughout his skewed, delicate line, the varied thicknesses of the painted boundaries and fluttering net reminiscent of Henri Matisse. In a moment of quiet, with the crowds removed and cheers silenced, Wood revises art history by reflecting not on the figure but instead on the unsung setting. As the athletes preparing to play sidle up to their respective service boxes, Wood approaches his blank sheet with confidence imbued by routine practice of refined skill. Though the rules of the sport seldom change, and the sidelines rarely waver, the outcome remains a mystery till the game point is served. In his expert manipulation of unremarkable materials, Wood transforms the space into an outdoor interior, a dynamic still life. Empty though it may seem, the Australian Open court is a “stage” unto itself: “sometimes there are players on the stage. And sometimes the painting’s just the stage, and the stage looks cool” (J. Wood, in conversation with H. U. Obrist in Jonas Wood, exh. cat., Dallas Museum of Art, March-July 2019, p. 99).