Portrait of the artist Xylor Jane (right) and her work '13,831' (2007), Oil on panel, 31 x 37 in (left)

Inside the mind of Xylor Jane

Exploring the creative processes of artists featured in Vitamin P2

Today we bring you a shorter than usual Inside The Mind Of interview. This is mainly because Californian artist Xylor Jane relates more to the language of numbers than words. She finds resonance in prime numbers, perfect numbers and the Fibonacci sequence (which can be used for such diverse tasks as describing the fractal forms of ferns and analysing the financial markets.) She's fascinated by the impact of numbers on her life and work. Even the dimensions of her panels are often prime or twin prime numbers. In her work she locates subtle patterns in the midst of swarms of digits. She has also had a series of Xs tattooed on her fingers. These correspond to the word five, transliterated using gematria (a system of assigning numbers to letters based on their position in the alphabet) placed in three-by-three grids.

Who are you?

A double seven.

What’s on your mind right now?

Eleven digit prime palindromes.

How do you get this stuff out?

Listen to vinyl LP's and make lots of sketches.

Xylor Jane <em>Via Crucis VIII (D.O.J.) (2009), Oil on panel, 33 x 39 in

Xylor Jane Via Crucis VIII (D.O.J.) (2009), Oil on panel, 33 x 39 in

How Does it fit together?

Grid.

What brought you to this point?

My colour wheel starts with Yellow.

Can you control it?

No.

What’s next?

Ping-Pong.

Portrait of the artist Xylor Jane

Get inside the mind of more artists from Vitamin P2 here:

Inside the mind of Stephen Bush
Inside the mind of Glenn Sorensen
Inside the mind of Serban Savu
Inside the mind of Ellen Altfest
Inside the mind of Antonio Ballester Moreno
Inside the mind of Milena Dragicevic
Inside the mind of Lesley Vance
Inside the mind of Li Shurui

Vitamin P2: New Perspectives in PaintingPhaidon Editors

A dynamic overview of the best new contemporary painting from around the world.

The first volume of Vitamin P, published in 2002, inaugurated a vibrant period for painting. Since its publication, a whole new generation of painters has emerged, some inspired by the artists who appeared in that book, others taking cues from new sources. Vitamin P2 introduces this new wave of painters to the world.

The vast medium of painting continues to be a central pillar of artistic practice, and Vitamin P2 presents the outstanding artists who are currently engaging with and pushing the boundaries of the medium. Over 80 international critics, artists and curators have nominated the 115 artists who have made a fresh, unique or innovative contribution to recent painting. All of the artists in Vitamin P2 have recently emerged onto the international scene, and none appeared in the first Vitamin P.

An introduction by Barry Schwabsky, who also wrote the introduction for Vitamin P, provides a broad overview of recent developments in the medium while also looking towards its future.

Specifications:

Format: Paperback
Size: 290 × 250 mm (11 3/8 × 9 7/8 in)
Pages: 352 pp
Illustrations: 500 illustrations
ISBN: 9780714869421

Barry Schwabsky is a London-based writer. Currently International Reviews Editor at Artforum and Art Critic at The Nation, he has contributed to numerous art publications, including Phaidon's Jessica Stockholder (1995) and Vitamin P (2002), and is the author of The Widening Circle: The Consequences of Modernism in Contemporary Art (1997), as well as several volumes of poetry. He has taught at Yale, New York University and Goldsmiths, among other institutions.

"Vitamin P2 [...] is a colossal overview of 115 painters from 30 countries... Refreshing."—Aesthetica

"Leading critics, curators, and academics profile the latest contemporary painters making a splash in an up-to-the-minute overview."—C Magazine

"Compiled with the nominations of curators, critics, and art historians, the book is a must-read for any art lover."—ELLE.com