AMERICAN Pastel Painting ~ JIM JONSON ~ c.1960s Movement GREAT ILLUSTRATOR

Description: Original pastel painting by American artist Jim Jonson (1928–1999), a twentieth century figurative illustrator and painter. This pastel is an outstanding semi-abstract study of a tired middle aged couple on an exhausting trudge to whereever, it exhibits all the earmarks of Jonson's obsession with movement, muscle and posture that made him one the greatest 20th century American illustrators of sport and, to some extent, dance. The work is signed by the artist at bottom right and measures 12 x 10 7/8 inches. It is executed on buff/grey artists paper mounted on a sheet of cream colored matboard. There is a small chip out of the lower left corner of the backboard and some minor rippling to the paper, otherwise it is in excellent condition and should frame up beautifully. James D. (Jim) Jonson (1928–1999) is an artist concerned with the kinetics of a sports event. He responds personally to the energy and the power generated by finely conditioned athletes, having been one himself. But above all he attempts to communicate the phenomenon of motion. He does not try to free these moments as a high-speed photograph would, but by skillfully employing the multiple image, Jonson dramatically enhances the narrative power of his paintings. You not only see where something is, but also where it was and the direction in which it's going. In addition to the phenomenon of motion, Jonson is also concerned with the specific instant: the point in the action which most dramatically highlights the athlete extending himself almost beyond his limits. It could be the face of a long distance runner straining to reach the finish line, the arched back of a pole vaulter as he barely clears the bar, or the stretched legs and clawing hands of the high hurdler. For all their apparent spontaneity, which sometimes borders on the abstract, however, his paintings adhere to the classical tenets of drawing, composition, value, and color harmony. Jonson's first illustration assignments were for magazines and advertising agencies in California where more and more art directors who were beginning to tire of the photographic realism then predominant responded to Jonson's painterly approach. Since then he has moved to the East Coast and his work appears regularly in Sports Illustrated, Ski, Time-Life Books, and other nationally famous publications. He has also exhibited in many museums including the National Art Museum of Sport Competition where he was recently a top award winner. ONE-MAN SHOWS: Parsons, Los Angeles; Cushing Gallery, Dallas; Madison Park Gallery, New York City; Abercrombie & Fitch, New York City; Abercrombie & Fitch, Chicago GROUP SHOWS: Denver Art Museum; Los Angeles County Art Museum; Oklahoma Art Center; Frye Museum (Seattle); Orange County Museum; University of Arizona MEMBER: Society of Illustrators, Los Angeles (biography courtesy of www.rogallery.com)

Price: 185 USD

Location: Spring Hill, Florida

End Time: 2024-10-06T00:35:02.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD