Fine art career James Lavadour

1 fine art career

1.1 work
1.2 current work
1.3 creation process
1.4 crow s shadow institute of arts

fine art career

i use 2 elemental structures, landscape , architectural abstraction (a vortex , grid). there’s flow of landscape , intersection of architectural structure, being in room looking out window, floors, angles, walls, doors, ceilings, pathways. painting complex event many things going on @ multiple levels. close, far, color, layers, scrapes, , drips swirled around memories. keep organized structure. structure bed river.

- james lavadour

rejecting iconography , symbolism inherent in western art, lavadour believes rather trying make artwork mean became something. theory of rejection credits relationship environment , growing on umatilla reservation.

early work

primarily self-taught, lavadour grew exploring environment on umatilla indian reservation , western oregon. earlier works, reminiscent of german romanticism, displayed impact geology , landscape had on creation process through own monochromatic abstract lens (he described these works interiors). described emotional interpretations of land, these interiors tend painted, hazy photograph-like paintings streaks of color traveling through them.

james lavadour @ pdx contemporary art gallery, 2012


current work

in 1990s lavadour started explore printmaking. melding of printmaking painting led complex layer usage in these new works. layering technique of printmaking makes geological features of landscape maps or if moving. these new works have been compared art of gerhard richter. began explore other themes, influenced interest in chinese painting, abstract expressionism , jazz music (specifically john coltrane), however, landscapes continue basis work.

the usage of panels seen throughout lavadour s work, involving selections of works placed provide panorama , visual exploration of environment through lavadour s eyes. lavadour represented pdx contemporary art, in portland.

creation process

he wakes 3:00 every morning work in studio on confederated tribes of umatilla indian reservation. music serves inspiration , motivator; jazz music likes of of favorite artists: john coltrane, sun ra , miles davis.

lavadour s process involves applying layers of paint, scraping or wiping away, performing own form of erosion on unique landscapes. believes there 2 major aspects work: capturing of sediments, layers , shape of physical scenery, , exploration of energy of scenery, emotions , relationship cosmos. exploration allows him discover physics of paint - way moves on canvas , final form, on color manipulation many artists focus on.

crow s shadow institute of arts

motivated experiences fellow @ rutgers university, in 1990 lavadour co-founded crow s shadow institute of arts, non-profit arts organization brings technology, instruction , cultural exchange artists on umatilla indian reservation.