Doc J's Bag
Winner Jumalon
2011

A wide expanse of taupe applied to the canvas in very thick layers serves as support to the representation of a simple worn-out doctor’s bag. Winner Jumalon paints the subject with a consistent impasto technique, rendering it with a sensuous texture that makes it feel like a portrait than a still-life. Indeed the bag possesses an aura of identity, with all its interesting textures, peeling leather and well-worn handles. It is also open: the basic diagnostic tools of the medical trade are laid bare. It is the artist’s attempt at a visual synecdoche in conveying the character of person by means of articulating a critical piece of his life and labor. We do not see the doctor who owns the bag, but through the careful articulation of usage and trace, the artist deftly makes us feel his hands, his touch and therefore, his presence.  

Medium
Oil on Canvas

Dimensions
152.4 x 122 cm (83 x 72”)