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James Darum |
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A Shot of Color and A Smile
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James Darum boldly transforms
the Western dream figures of our collective subconscious into
larger-than-life cowboys, trail bosses and lawmen. Bright, vivid and
crackling with energy, his Western characters absolutely command the field
of attention on which they appear. Presented in minimalist settings, often before empty monochrome backdrops, these impudent icons jolt us in the way superheroes do. We recognize them immediately without reference to time, place or geography. Framed by our own imaginations, they draw breath through the alchemy of personal projection and the painter’s powerful imagery. Each Darum painting is gallery-wrapped – stretched around an internal frame – allowing canvas and surroundings to merge seamlessly. The overall impact is three-dimensional. These drovers, sheriffs and cowpokes could step right off the wall. James Darum’s mischievous
world surprises us moment by moment. A master of ambiguous visual
perspective, Darum populates his compositions with outsized and
out-of-scale elements, searing colors, and oddly out-of-place patterns and
objects. And always outlandish mustaches. We know these cowboys, yet the
longer we look, the more they startle us. Leaving preconceived notions far
behind, we smile. |
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About the Artist
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