Fountain of Youth
Commissioned artwork for the 2014 Mountain Jam Music Festival
Hunter Mountain, New York June 5 -8, 2014
Jack Laroux: 2014 Official visual artist for Mountain Jam
SIZE: 40" x 60"
Oil, Acrylic and Spray Paint on Canvas

 

“The Fountain of Youth“ was created by celebrated New York City artist Jack Laroux to commemorate the Mountain Jam Music Festival’s tenth year anniversary. He was honored to be commissioned for the second time as an official visual artist for the music festival hosted by Hunter Mountain in New York State’s Catskill Park. 

 

Laroux was inspired by the musicians’ timeless music, enduring careers and youthful energy. In his painting, he addresses a lighthearted question, “Have the musicians and fans discovered the fountain of youth?”  

 

The artwork’s central focus is the iconic Les Paul Gibson electric guitar. The roman numeral ten (X) explodes from behind the instrument in yellow rays of light accented by wood grain. In Laroux’s surreal world, the guitar becomes the fountain. The water is siphoned to the top, mimicking guitar strings, as it spills over the glowing mountain range.  As the head of the guitar rockets to space, the flames split into feathery wings. Time is illustrated by the hour glass. It is squeezed by the expanding arms of the milky way galaxy that emanate from the head of the guitar. All of the elements in the composition are entangled in the mountainous forest as the roman numeral ten (X) soaks up the fountain’s energy to perpetuate the music for years to come.