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James Jean, Rebus
March 12 - April 30, 2011
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 12th from 11 am to 8 pm
Martha Otero is pleased to present Los Angeles based artist James Jean's exhibition Rebus. For this new body of work, Jean will present paintings, drawings and a wall installation.
The subject matter is a fictionalized subconscious representation of deities in an apocalyptic decaying romanticized setting. Jean's visual symbolism is composed of an amalgamation of lyrically gestural, expressionistic, energetic, abstracted forms from highly detailed images to freely inscribed graffiti.
The solidity of the paint belies the illusory nature of the narrative: these excavations into the subconscious are fraught with the misfires, inconsistencies, and contradictions of a dream." James Jean
Jean's automatistic and narrative approach is informed by popular culture derived from his comic book and illustrative mastery. His idiosyncratic language is based on references in historical and contemporary art.
James Jean was born in Taiwan in 1979. He works and lives in Santa Monica, CA. He has exhibited at The Japanese National Museum, Los Angeles, CA; The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; His work is in the collection of the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA; In 2008, his work was featured by Prada in a worldwide campaign as they incorporated his drawings into clothing, advertising, and store installations for their Spring/Summer collection; He is the recipient of highly distinguished awards including the Bronze Lion, Cannes Festival; he received seven Eisner Awards, three Harvey Awards and three Gold medals from the Society of Illustrators. In 2008, Jean was nominated for a Grammy Award, Los Angeles, CA.
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