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Email PageJames A. Willis, Elaine Komorowski, Josh Millis
January 2, 2007- February 3, 2007
Reception: January 11, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
James A. Willis, Elaine Komorowski, Josh Millis
George Billis Gallery
511 W 25th St James A. Willis The Red Umbrella (2006) |  James A. Willis Karate Guy with a Cake Box (2006) |  Elaine Komorowski Shadow (2006) |
 Elaine Komorowski Moon (2006) |  Josh Millis Cooks (2006) |  Josh Millis Dries (2006) |
James A. Willis
Born and raised in south Georgia, James Willis began painting the ever-changing Manhattan landscape nearly 20 years ago, when he came to New York City for a visit and never returned home. With his stylistic use of oils and acrylics, Willis seeks to capture the dynamic beauty of the city as well as the dramatic color shifts weather and light have on the architecture, people, and streetscapes.
In this newest collection, the artist focuses on everyday New York City scenes from unexpected vantage points and perspectives. Willis paints directly from life by referencing photographs he takes of Manhattan. Whether his paintings feature a panoramic skyline or a narrow glimpse of a Greenwich Village side street, Willis’ works create an air of intimacy in an otherwise indifferent city. Rich colors, moody lighting, and diving skylines play an integral role in most of the compositions. His gestural painting style captures the movement of the city, from people crossing streets to the light relfections of billboards and taxicabs. “I see the city as a living, breathing subject.” says Willis. “It has infinite moods and complexities.”
Elaine Komorowski
Elaine Komorowski presents a fascinating range of artistic influences in her new collection. From the industrial grit of Jean-Michel Basquiat to the eloquent writings of Omar Khayyam, the artist pulls together a diverse blend of mediums to create vibrant emotion in her work. Komorowski’s affinity towards the black and white imagery of Film Noir also has a resonance throughout the collection. Fallen heroes, ferocious fighters, and dangerous dames are all brought to light as Komorowski finds their narratives in the aged wood she uses as her canvases.
Wooden painting surfaces play a key role in Elaine Komorowski’s work in that they also tell part of the story. The old pieces of wood she comes across “give me an idea and I fill out the story.” The artist seeks to show in her work that “the past is always present,” and that impressions of yesteryear do not die quickly. “Discarded, rescued, rendered;” this is the theme of Elaine Komorwski’s newest collection.
Josh Millis
In his new collection, Josh Millis questions the functionality of art. His drawings on baked plastic are tile-sized pieces that seem to freeze life before our eyes. The artist’s translucent creations concentrate on subject matter that would ordinarily be looked over. A pair of glasses, a light switch, a stovetop; Josh Millis focuses on the universal belongings of society and asks, “In what ways do we wear our wares?” With his medium and subject matter, Millis has created art that itself begs to be functional. The pieces can seem very frank, but they are able to exude a sense of nostalgia and utilitarianism.
Millis sketches his subjects directly onto plastic canvases. The artist then bakes the drawings. As the heat from the baking process shrinks the plastic, the images constrict into incredibly detailed vignettes of their former selves. The resulting translucent pieces have a whimsical lightness to them. Etched shadows play with the lighting that penetrates the work while the exacting lines in Millis’s creations create an interesting sense of depth and mood. “This work explores the gap between physical function and symbolic representation.”
Books and DVDs related to artists in this show
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George Billis Gallery was last updated: 2008-10-07
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