Over The Influence, a new art gallery in Bangkok, recently opened its doors with the inaugural presentation "Clean Jellybean" by American artist Todd James, which is running until Jan 10 next year.
A colourful introduction into James' evolution as an artist, the exhibition showcases a new series of more than 20 paintings created in his New York City studio over the course of the past year.
They feature his signature, visual language as well as new formal elements -- smooth, clean surfaces, juicy compositions and lush vibrant palettes. The absence of outline and spray presents super graphic colour forms, enlivening old subjects and themes in an entirely fresh way.
The paintings play on the idea of infinite war, with a dynamic combination encompasing cartoon tanks, snipers and silhouetted figures, wherein objects, ground and space at once melt together, while also remaining distinct, clean and crisp.
For the artist, the vibrant palette and candy-coated surfaces of the canvases felt lively and upbeat during a terribly gloomy time.
With the architecture and layout of the new exhibition space in mind, the artworks are punctuated across the five-storey gallery, with each space distinguished by key motifs such as surreal interiors, geopolitical scenes and the candid yet surprising portraits of women, all rendered in vibrant, saturated palettes.
James is a co-creator of Street Market, a major work of the post-graffiti movement that was selected for the 2001 Venice Biennale. In 2011, a re-creation of this work was the central installation of MOCA's record breaking exhibition "Art In The Streets".
His paintings and installations have been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide, including the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in Philadelphia, the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Los Angeles, and Brooklyn Museum in New York.
The gallery is located on Tri Mit Road, Talat Noi, and opens Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm.
Visit overtheinfluence.com.
