Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
First monograph on a leading American Minimalist artist whose career is undergoing critical re-evaluation Publication coincides with a major Howell retrospective exhibition at Von Bartha Basel, which will travel to venues in Germany and the UK James Howell's Series 10 paintings possess a powerful atmospheric force; they exude an ambience that appears greater and more extensive than the physical parameters of their frames. In Howell's words, they are 'studies of shifting light and shadow, without the interference of any form'. Noted for his experimental approach to color theory, Howell meticulously studied the parameters of the color grey, fascinated by its unlimited tonal possibilities. The sublime and minimal are both apparent within the gradation of light and shadow in his paintings. "Grey", he explained, "embodies passages of time, for me. It is mysterious - and I like its softness; also its simplicity, and space." Moreover, he considered his paintings to be fields of energy, as well as an investigation between the physical and metaphysical properties of grey. He always used the square as a format, which he divided into 28, 29 or 30 uniformly sized horizontal lines. Each line is stroked vertically, progressing from being lighter at the top of the work to growing gradually darker towards the bottom. The movement of light is so subtly executed that at times the effect is almost impossible to distinguish. Howell's extraordinary studies in light and color challenge us to explore the very fundamentals of perception.
Synopsis
First monograph on a leading American Minimalist artist whose career is undergoing critical re-evaluationJames Howell (1935-2014) was an American abstract artist who used infinite variations of the color gray to explore the fundamentals of light, space, time, and kinesthetic] perception. He appreciated the color's mystery, softness, simplicity, and capaciousness. His precise, systematic methods, developed over many years, yielded accomplished square paintings and works on paper. Their subtle revelations -- absent of illusion, narrative, and symbolic references -- expand in the viewer's consciousness. In this comprehensive first monograph, Alistair Rider traces Howell's artistic evolution, from the beginnings of his career in the early 1970s through the artist's greatest achievement -- the group of abstractions called Series 10, which occupied the last two decades of his life. Rider's multi-faceted essay also chronicles Howell's biography, including his early studies and accomplishments in architecture, and offers several interpretive frameworks for Howell's oeuvre, notably a connection to East Asian philosophies. The beautifully produced book presents dozens of full-color plates of artworks and exhibitions, and Rider's essay is thoroughly illustrated with archival images and documents from the James Howell Foundation. This publication makes a critical contribution to the reevaluation of an artist whose studies of light into shadow have for many years been in a dynamic conversation with recognized trends in contemporary art.
Synopsis
First monograph on the leading American Minimalist artist, James Howell (1935-2014), whose career is undergoing critical re-evaluation.