Show Opening: James Jean – “Parallel Lives” @ Tilton Gallery NYC, January 9 2013

This week my friend Mark Frangos and I attended the latest show from James Jean, which marked the NY follow up to the artists last show at Jonathan Levine Gallery entitled Kindling in January of 09. I thought it was only right that Mark pen the story as he has been a fan of Jean's work longer than I have and would see things differently than me coming from comics rather than my introduction to the artist via the fine art world… 

It’s been 11 years since James Jean broke out as a cover artist for Vertigo’s successful Fables comic series. After seven years and winning numerous industry awards, Jean left the world of commercial projects to focus on painting where his star has continued to rise.

On Wednesday, January 9, Jean made his triumphant return to the New York art scene with Parallel Lines, a solo exhibition of paintings and drawings. The Tilton Gallery on 8 East 76th Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues will house the exhibition through February 16. 

If you are unable to visit the gallery, Pressure Printing released the catalogue documenting Parallel Lives in an edition of 1000 that’s signed and numbered for $38.

James Jean – “Wave (Buried)” 2012 Archival inkjet print mounted on aluminum 44 inches diameter

The core of Jean’s work lies in his detailed linear pen and ink drawings that fill countless notebooks and inform virtually all of his creative output. His larger drawings suggest personal fairy tales that merge with decorative abstractions, whereas his paintings capture individual narrative moments and comment on contemporary life. Even in these, abstract drips of paint or grids of dots overlaid on the image draw the painting back into an imaginary dream world where nothing is as stable as it appears. This duality is also emphasized in a few paintings that were created as diptychs, pairings of representational rectangular paintings with digitally produced images of crashing waves.

“These images represent separate realities, but there is a relationship and tension between the images when they are paired together,” Jean explained.

James Jean - "Pagoda" 2012 Apraypaint, acrylic, & ink on 84 wood panels 112 x 192 inches.

Jean’s work has been influenced by diverse sources such as Chinese scroll painting, Japanese woodblock prints, Northern Renaissance art and Durer etchings. It evokes the worlds of M.C. Escher, Aubrey Beardsley and Hieronymous Bosch as well as psychedelic artists of the sixties. "Pagoda" which takes up an entire wall at 112 x 192" exemplifies this best. 

One of the pieces on display was a print of the art Jean provided for rapper Talib Kweli’s new album Prisoner of Conscious. Jean’s intricate, colorful stylings serve as a mask which contrast with the figure’s haunting eyes. 

James Jean - "Talib Kweli" 2012 Archival inkjet print mounted on aluminum 23 x 20 inches.

Jean was on hand at the opening and available for his legions of fans that span from different periods of his career. He happily posed for photos and answered any questions about his work and the show.

Jean was born in Taiwain in 1979 and moved with his parents to New Jersey where he grew up. He received his B. F. A. from the School of Visual Arts in New York and has been living and working in Los Angeles since 2003.

 

James Jean - Parallel Lives - January 9 2013, Tilton Gallery NYC - slideshow dvd

Show Opening: Jeremy Geddes - "Exhale" / Ashley Wood - "Machine Sabbath" Jonathan Levine Gallery October 20 2012 NYC

Yesterday evening saw the opening of two highly anticipated shows at New York’s Jonathan Levine Gallery, a one-two punch featuring two of Australia’s hottest contemporary artists, Ashley Wood and Jeremy Geddes. Both living and working in Australia isn’t the only thing these artists have in common as they both are also known for their comic book work. Woods’ work can be seen in Ghost Rider, Spawn and The X-men amongst other well known titles and Geddes’ illustrations have appeared in Star Trek and Zombies! Eclipse of the Undead books to name but a few. The two artists have also worked in the video game industry respectively having worked with Konami in Woods’ case and Activision in Geddes’. So needless to say it made sense to have a joint showing as the work complemented each other’s quite well. On a personal note I can say I had been anticipating this opening for a very long time, well over a year to be more precise, and by the sheer number of people in attendance I presume I was not alone in the countdown to the October 20^th opening.

Ashley Wood - "Happiness 3" Oil and Acrylic on linen 36 x 72 inches.

and their surrounding environments are partially masked and disjointed by extreme contrasts in light and shadow. Woods' dynamic painting technique combines multiple layers of oil, acrylic and glazes, resulting in a painterly quality and high-gloss, drippy aesthetic. 

In addition to works on panel and canvas, the exhibition also featured two mixed media collages consisting of photographic Polaroid images as well as two sculptures of shapely right legs wearing strappy high-heeled sandals, each decked out with paintings of nudes on the outer calf. In the artist's words, Machine Sabbath is an inquiry into the ambiguity of silent suburban backyards, the conversations that take place between the denizens of those private spaces and the machines that think for us.”

Ashley was in attendance and was only too happy to sign works and discuss his craft with the very long line of comic book fans and fine art aficionados alike.

Jeremy Geddes - "Begin Again" Detail. Oil on Board 28.75 x 25.375 x 1.75 inches, framed.

Jeremy Geddes has really had an exceptional 24 plus months in the contemporary art world having really exploded these last couple of years, Again like Woods, Exhale marked the debut solo exhibition in the United States for the artist and the man most certainly came correct with a series of 17 paintings rendered in painstaking detail. Geddes’ work, an arduous process that combines scrupulous study, fine brushwork and delicate layers of glaze, combines a tension between man-made environments in flux and the vulnerability of the human body. Many of the works in the exhibition depict figures suspended in barren urban landscapes or splintered environments that are in the process of falling apart. Think of bullet time special effects as seen in Hollywood films like The Matrix and you will get a good picture of the drama rendered on these panels.  The complex works are contrasted by a series of five paintings titled "Misèrere" (Italian for have mercy), each featuring a single subject isolated in a solid black plane—alternating birds and a failing Apollo Command Service Module. This series is accompanied by four paintings with solitary human figures, titled "Misère" (French for poverty or destitution). Although there are recurring motifs in the paintings, Geddes prefers to leave his subject matter open to interpretation rather than attach a specific narrative to his work, thus allowing individual viewers to connect disparate elements into a structure that resonates with them personally.

Jeremy Geddes - "Acedia" Oil on Panel 29.75 x 51 x 2.25 inches, framed.

Needless to say the limited amount of works on show had sold out for Geddes before the show even opened, having been on the list myself before the show was yet publicly announced a good year and a half ago wasn’t even enough to secure a coveted painting by the artist. Woods’ work was also just about sold out on the night of the opening and I suspect by the end of the show will all find their way onto the walls of collectors. Even the limited edition prints had waiting lists and were all claimed at a rapid pace so make sure you make it down to the gallery before the shows close on November 17^th to get a increasingly rare opportunity to see works from these two exceptional artists in person.

Jeremy Geddes/Ashley Wood Jonathan Levine Gallery October 20 2012 NYC - free slideshow

Video: Dirty Laundry - fan film (NSFW)

A fan-film entitled Dirty Laundry appeared on the web recently but unlike most fan films it was made by a well-known actor, Thomas Jane, who got a bunch of his friends together including Ron Pearlman & director Phil Joanou to make an homage to one of his favorite charcters. (Spoiler - a character he has actually played in a film).

The web is a buzz and already is discussing what this film is about and the ending, but for the sake of those who don't know... I'm not going to spoil anything. Thomas Jane is known in the comic community as being a true hardcore comic fan dipping his finger in writing and publishing comics as well as taking on comic book roles in films. Its nice to see his dedication and commitment to trying to revive would could still be a pretty interesting franchise.

James Jean Designs New Talib Kweli LP Cover

Occasionally an artist I enjoy teams up with a musician I enjoy to produce an album cover.  AJ Fosik was responsible for Mastodon’s last album art for example and today we are going to take a look at LA based artist, James Jean’s, art work for Talib Kweli’s forthcoming LP, Prisoner of Conscious. In a day and age where most people just grab their music digitally the LP sleeve is not as appreciated as much as it once was so it’s always great when something like this pops up. Jean’s intricate style works super well on this one, the end result is quite striking, drawing me in instantly, hopefully James has contributed to the overall package design for this release because I love what I see so far.

Go Buy These: Kostas Seremetis Screen Print Collection

Contemporary artist Kostas Seremetis has released a new collection of extremely limited edition screen prints. In this series, Seremetis has paired some of cinema’s greatest icons with a respective comic book alter-ego. Each 11 x 16 inch print is limited to only 25 pieces, and can be purchased directly from the Kostas Seremetis online shop. Kostas rarely releases screen prints so if you are a fan of his work in any capacity this is your chance to add his unique brand of humor to your collection.

Follow Up: “Calvin and Hobbes” Heritage Auctions, Original Watercolor Sells For Big Bucks

Last month you may recall a story we did on some original and incredibly rare  Bill Watterson Calvin and Hobbes art work that would be going up for sale via Heritage Auctions. The art which was originally published in a 1989-90 calendar was estimated to sell for $50,000. Apparently Calvin and Hobbes fans out there got into a bit of a bidding war as the piece ended up selling way past the estimate, How much did it go for in the end? $107,550, according to the Heritage Auctions website.

Last year, the very private Ohio-based Watterson released his first widely public art in more than 15 years — as a contribution to Team Cul de Sac.

Original art by Bill Watterson for Team Cul de Sac (for Richard Thompson of "Cul de Sac"). 6" x 8" oil on board. (Bill Watterson)

Extremely Rare Calvin And Hobbes Original Artwork Up For Auction

An incredibly rare piece of original, published Calvin andHobbes artwork - 1989-90 Calendar Cover Watercolor Illustration Original Art (c. 1988) – by artist Bill Watterson, is expected to bring $50,000+ when it comes to auction as part of Heritage Auctions’ Feb. 23 Vintage Comics & Comic Art Signature® event, at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion (Ukrainian Institute of America). 

“Watterson is one of the few cartoonists to have shunned the merchandising bonanza of a popular character and is widely known to be a very private person. Only a very small handful of originals have ever come onto the market, and none of them has ever been published, let alone so iconic. Nothing comparable by one of the most popular cartoonists of all time has ever been made available to collectors. “

For more information click HERE.

Bid On This: Kevin Eastman’s Studio Content Auction

This is somewhat random and fun…Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is auctioning off his studio inside of Meltdown Comics.  In the video below, Kevin shows us a glimpse of some of the treasures that are featured in this one-of-a-kind auction. His studio looks like every high school/college guy’s room growing up, like a pop culture bomb exploded in the space but I bet there are a whole lot of gems hiding in there!

For all the details, visit http://www.meltcomics.com

The Auction is currently up to $5,450.00 and ends on January 4th 2012

Video filmed and edited by Adam Dorsey (http://www.adamdorsey.com)