Photo: Courtesy of Oliver Jeffers.A few months ago, my graphic-designer roommate first introduced me to the unconventional work of artist Oliver Jeffers. While he's chiefly known for his whimsical children's book illustrations and music collaboration with U2, I was mostly struck by one of his other artistic signatures: dousing half of a piece of art in totally opaque paint. It seemed a bit crazy to cover up half of a potentially exquisite painting. But, when I visited Jeffers' studio as a part of an open tour at the Invisible Dog Gallery in Brooklyn last month, I was instantly smitten with a turquoise-dipped oil painting he had hanging in his light-filled work space.
A little sinister and very grand, his latest dipped piece reminds me of a potential clue that might be in a dark hallway in an Agatha Christie novel. If you can't afford a Jeffers original right now, you can spend a weekend playing homage to his genius by giving a few flea market finds a bit of a dip. Your friends might not get the genius of it, but you'll rack up way too much artsy cred to care.