Jay Payton
A Gentle Kiss to the Anterior Fontanelle
February 16 – March 29, 2025

"When the Water Breaks", 2025 Oil on canvas 13 x 24 in

"Condensation From Your First Breath", 2025 72 x 60 in

"Right Before the Skull Hardens, the Soul Enters the Body", 2025 Oil and spray paint on canvas 48 x 38 in

"Hydromancy", 2025 Oil on canvas 9 x 15 in

"American Sterilization", 2025 Barbed wire, globe, acrylic, airs-soft weapon, baby replica, prop money 72 x 60 x 5 in

"Deinococcus radiodurans", 2025 Oil on canvas 90 x 98 in

"The Sensorimotor Stage of Cognitive Development", 2025 Oil, kozo paper, and nails in cherry frame 83 x 65 in
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, 2025