The black is especially conspicuous at first sight. The drawings are swallowed in it, appearing like free, abstract scribbles that fill the paper/canvas, ostensibly fluttering over its surface; a closer look, however, gradually reveals the images, and the narrative unfolds. The works offer an amused, imaginary plot alongside a dark spooky atmosphere, and are populated with a jumble of images, among them monkeys and elephants, skulls, trees, and people. The flowing, scribbled nature of the images, along with the humorous, playful air, compensate for the nocturnal black, seemingly illuminating it and giving it a new life.

The title of the series has various referents. The 91st Night as an allusion to Arabian Nights with their legendary eventful nature. It also alludes to a painting created with a swift light hand. Jacobi’s proficiency and her mastery of the free, erupting line are read as if the painting had been created in the last minute, or alternatively, during extra time: in both cases it is the 91st minute.

Less Reading...