NYAB Event - James Bohary "Recent Paintings"

James Bohary "Recent Paintings"

Elizabeth Harris Gallery

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The Elizabeth Harris Gallery presents an exhibition of recent paintings by James Bohary. This will be his fifth one person exhibition with the gallery.

James Bohary continues to be influenced by locations he has lived and worked in: New York City, upstate New York, Puerto Rico, and Newfoundland, Canada. His thickly painted abstract paintings are influenced by these diverse surroundings. Bohary lets different aspects of these locations shape his imagination; the movements of whales, icebergs that are 15,000 years old, the ancient tree fern, the constant movement of urban centers, or the reflection of light on a slow moving river. Each painting is specific and has its own time, place and temperature. The gesture and color emerge from layers of observation, reflection, intuition and experience. Bohary uses a palette knife, kitchen spatula, or even his thumbs, to create an expressive and unpremeditated surface, a complex topography. His brilliant chromatic inventions use lush, turbulent colors in sometimes disconcerting combinations. Bohary’s paintings have a raw energy and a sense of daring improvisation that give them the feeling that nothing has been held back.

The use of patterns found in traditional African and Indonesian art forms have had a significant impact on Bohary’s handling of materials and use of imagery. The titles of his recent paintings are the result of Bohary’s involvement with his six year old grandson Sid, who has been an inspiration in the production of this exhibition.

James Bohary has exhibited extensively since 1971 in the United States, Europe and Canada. His awards include a Pollack-Krasner Foundation Grant, NEA Grant, American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Award and numerous awards from the Academy of Design including the Ranger Purchase Prize. His work is included in numerous collections including the Corcoran Gallery of Art; the Hood Museum; the Weatherspoon Art Center and the Snite Museum at Notre Dame University.