Published by L'Officiel St Barth
May 18, 2025
by Jenny Mannerheim
 

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Jason Bereswill The Russian, 2019

Jason Bereswill's latest exhibition, Falling for St Barth, presented by Space Gallery in Gustavia, is both a love letter and a satire—exploring paradise not just as a postcard-perfect escape, but as a stage for desire, delusion, and the absurd beauty of failure. In this conversation with L’Officiel, Bereswill reflects on obsession, slapstick, and the surreal realities of vacation life. Through vividly staged figures set against fractured island landscapes, his paintings teeter between memento mori and fashion editorial—revealing how we all, eventually, fall.

Jenny Mannerheim: Your new show, “Falling for St Barth,” at Space Gallery in Gustavia plays with both literal and metaphorical falls. What inspired this duality of beauty and humor?

Jason Bereswill: There’s beauty and humor, and I would also say a little horror too. The whole premise is a bit absurd, silly really, but rooted in obsession. And fashionable places peddle in obsession. You know? We fall in love with, fall prey to, fall into obsession over… The idea of falling off the edge in any number of ways is nearby at all times and is also a little bit dumb. I wanted to explore that edge.  Slapstick meeting Memento Mori set on an island paradise feels interesting to me.

Jenny Mannerheim: You first landed in St Barth in 2005—do you remember the moment you knew you had fallen for the island?

Jason Bereswill: I took to the island right away. I had come here for an artist residency over Christmas / New Year at Eden Rock, and very quickly met several heroes of mine who were very kind to me. I could not believe that there was a place this beautiful, with that dazzling quality of light, full of such interesting people. It was Fantasy Island. I remember leaving after my month-long stay thinking this cannot be the last time I’m on this island. Thankfully things led to me returning frequently for a long while. 

Jenny Mannerheim: The “Falling” series carries echoes of Memento Mori traditions. How do you approach painting themes of mortality through humor and vacation culture?

Jason Bereswill: Vacation life isn’t entirely real life. It should be, because that’s when we often feel most alive without constraints to just be human animals. But as with social media, on vacation we’re creating who we would like to be and not necessarily being who we actually are.  So in constructing these darkly humorous arrangements of vacation clumsiness, I suppose they are meant as a kind of reminder of reality vs fantasy, but there’s also a throw-it-all-to-the-wind angle because life is short so be whoever you want to be. But with regard to St Barth, it does seem like the desire, ambition, and folly that are drawn to this dreamy island means soaring heights and epic crashes feel equally plausible.

Jenny Mannerheim: You construct your figures against fragments of the island—how do you think of St Barth as both muse and myth?

Jason Bereswill: All islands exist in some ways as a collective myth, right? The idea of the desert island, an untouched paradise, an edenic escape… it's thrilling. When that island gets built up, there’s a point where the conveniences replace the romance. I’ve always been drawn to the more natural parts of St Barth. I often make paintings outdoors, en plein air, when I’m on the island. I tend to seek out dynamic views, mainly areas of geologic interest like Grand Fond. I’m obsessed with the natural pools at Grand Fond. I go almost every day I’m on the island. That area is certainly a muse in that it fuels me creatively and possesses my mind even when I’m away. But every day I’m there I feel as though I’m the first person to ever see it. And if someone else arrives while I’m there, as so often happens, there’s a little shock of ‘how did you get here? And where did you come from?’ to it.

Jenny Mannerheim:  Your dog, Martha, is a recurring muse—even though she sinks in water! What does she symbolize in your work?

Jason Bereswill: Martha is our very expressive 12-year old English bulldog with a deep soul. I have painted her several times, almost always around water. Most recently I put her into a painting titled Pipe Dream which is included in this show in Gustavia. Pipe Dream depicts her wiping out while surfing, paws in the air, with the rest of her presumably under water. She’s built like a cannonball and does not float, but has always been drawn to water. I’m fascinated by her pursuit of something that goes so completely against her design. She’s an inspiration.

Jenny Mannerheim:  You co-founded MarthaMOCA in New Jersey. How does nurturing other artists through a residency program shape your own practice?

Jason Bereswill: Jane and I have both participated in artist residencies in a variety of conditions and situations. Some solo, some as a couple, some with other artists. We’ve grown during all of them. Those experiences have been very important for us. When we were living in NYC we would often talk about starting our own artist residency in the future. It was a dream. We bought a farm in New Jersey that needed a lot of work and we’ve slowly developed it over time. At the start of the pandemic we fast tracked the plan to renovate our barn into a live/work space and we began hosting artists that year. It’s been a great way to support other artists with time and space away from their usual routine. And it brings other creative voices into our studios as well, with new dialogues, insights, and interests. Our interactions with these visiting artists have been meaningful, leading to new ways of picturing and problem solving. It’s been a fruitful exchange.

Jenny Mannerheim: Your wife and mother of your children, Jane LaFarge Hamill, is also an artist and you run the MarthaMOCA artist residency program in the States together. How does your artistic dialogue evolve together while also living together and parenting?

Jason Bereswill: Parenting is exhausting. And wonderful. That’s a big part of our daily dialogue, and we’re very much a team as parents.  In the studios we work in completely different ways.  I’m in my studio for part of every day working to slowly bring these scenes to life. Jane takes gaps of time away from her studio and then has an intense, focused, athletic bout of productivity when she’s ready, making two or three paintings in a day. It’s incredible to witness. There’s equal dedication to craft but it’s expressed in different ways. It makes sense for who we are. 

Jason Bereswill The Paraglider, 2025

Jenny Mannerheim: Your paintings are held in impressive collections worldwide. How do you stay grounded in your own vision despite growing recognition?

Jason Bereswill: There are highs and lows in all fields, but especially in creative ones. This is not a career with a single upward trajectory. There’s so much fluctuation and speculation in the art market that really all you can do as an artist is try to stay true to your interests and beliefs rather than chasing what you think other people might want. I’m grateful to everyone that has taken an interest in my work and supported me in innumerable ways through the years.

Jenny Mannerheim: If “falling” is a metaphor for obsession, what are you most joyfully obsessed with right now—on canvas or in life?

Jason Bereswill: I’m obsessed with my family - my daughter has begun reading, my son learned to ride his bike, and Jane has learned to work with horses with a natural intuition that I cannot fathom. Their interests become my interests. Outside of my family … on canvas, I’m most obsessed with Velasquez’s painting of Saint Anthony Abbott and Saint Paul the Hermit. In life, I might be most obsessed with pineapple on my pizza.  That’s really going to split the room.

Jenny Mannerheim: Name a few of your favorite spots on the island of St Barth.

Jason Bereswill: Oof, well, we’ve established that Grand Fond is my number one. The left side of Saline Beach, beneath the rocks, is another favorite.  And maybe Marche U. Those are my top three.

Jason Bereswill

Space Gallery St Barth presents 

‘Falling for St Barth’ | Jason Bereswill

Gustavia, Saint Barthelemy

May 22 – June 10 - 2025
Vernissage: Thursday, May 22nd, 6-8 PM with the artist

spacegallerystbarth.com