Jesse James
Following his “Warm Welcome” at Copenhagen’s Eighteen Gallery, Todd James is back. Today the artist returns with a colorful new group of paintings which will be part of an upcoming exhibit entitled “The Intrepid.” The exhibition will take place in Spain’s Galería Javier López & Fer Francés gallery. Here the artist will showcase a range of new compositions and surrealist still lifes.
The pieces were influenced and inspired by Matissian interiors and idyllic landscapes, yet with James’ sinister and suggestive approach. The still lifes reference everyday contemporary life in the Western World. They also aim to reference “countries that the USA influences politically and culturally, as they share in the same consumer-society dilemmas,” so says a statement from the gallery.
The artist explores a number of themes, including a focus on love versus death. One painting features a colorful skull figure hovering over a female subject that looks to be asleep. The skull represents death, while the female is a symbol of love.
The gallery further stated: “Lascivious women surrounded by weapons, accompanied by skeletons and skulls, or with their usual cats, are depicted from the viewpoint of a voyeur with whom we may identify. Through them, he offers a Pop-Art flavored interpretation of the vital and antagonistic impulses of Eros and Thanatos.”
Check out a few select works from “The Intrepid” and pay a visit to Galería Javier López & Fer Francés’ website for more information. The exhibition will run through November 11. Keep it locked with The Culture Curators for more from the art department coming very soon.
Photos via Galería Javier López & Fer Francés
