Email Page Add To Tour Print Page

James Valerio: New Paintings and Drawings

September 20, 2007- November 3, 2007

James Valerio

George Adams Gallery

525 W 26th St

Throughout his 40-year career, James Valerio has consistently presented large-scale, meticulously detailed figurative and still life paintings that purposefully blur the line between real and surreal. Working from photographs and from life, Valerio gives equal attention to both essential and mundane details within his compositions, delivering a heightened playing field of pattern, flesh tones, color and shadow. In Comic Times (2006-07) for example, a couple sits in a living room reading the comics section of the newspaper. The room is a brilliant cacophony of patterns and textures---the lacey texture of the window curtain contrasts with the dark floral pattern of the couch, which sets off the brightly colored grids of the comics. Similarly, the most recent painting in the exhibition, Refrigerator (2007) presents a self-portrait of the artist standing next to an open refrigerator. As if to suggest that "you are what you eat," the inside of the fridge reveals a half-eaten chicken, a plate of raw meat, a drawer full of leafy greens along with a sundry of eggs, fruit and condiments housed in the door.

Also included in the exhibition are two additional paintings A Door, which depicts the artist peering through a frosted window adjacent to an old and dilapidated door and Heather, a portrait of a seated woman holding a lace scarf and pink flower. Two pencil drawings, Seymour, a figure who also appears in Comic Times, and Sharon will be on view as well.

Books and DVDs related to artists in this show

Location map  Gallery George Adams Gallery Address 525 W 26th St New York (Chelsea) NY, 10001 United States Phone 212-564-8480 Fax 212-564-8485 Hours Tue-Sat 10-6 Nearby: All 3 galleries at 525 W 26th St

© 2005-2008 chelseaartgalleries.com | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Site Map