James Stewart
“How do I choose a subject? I stumble into it, usually if not always, through the work of other painters. Sometimes momentum in the studio leads me. But it is the language of painting that drives me.”
– James Stewart
Table 23, 30″ x 24″, Oil On Canvas
Gross McCleaf is pleased to present Place Setting, a new series of oil paintings by gallery artist, James Stewart. The works in this exhibition highlight Stewart’s acute awareness of group dynamics, interpersonal relationships and the settings in which these affairs unfold. While a few of Stewart’s outdoor scenes reference broad themes from history and well known stories from antiquity, most of the paintings depict intimate, everyday interactions between family and friends, many around the table of a dinner party.
In Place Setting, one can almost hear the clinking of dinnerware over the din of cross-conversations. Though the details remain unclear, animated gesturing and facial expressions reveal the dynamics of the guests’ relationships and the energy of their earnest interactions. They lean into the flickering candlelight to share a drink, a card game, a bite of pie, some music or perhaps an idea. In many of the works, an empty chair waits in the foreground, an invitation for the viewer to sit down and join in the merriment. The chair might also suggest the imminent arrival of another visitor, poised to enter the scene and enrich the evening’s tapestry.
In the tradition of the Caravaggisti, Stewart masterfully employs chiaroscuro to illuminate the faces of his lively dinner guests. Some figures look away from their fellow revelers, perhaps lost in thought or involved with someone out of view, while others engage the viewer directly. Thoughtful details like elegant, tapered candles or a small vase of daffodils, are welcoming and beautify the setting. Cut glass tumblers and various stemware sparkle with drink and the flatware shimmers. These cozy spaces filled with libations create the platform for sharing intimate news, engrossing gossip, risky jokes, and fruitful political debates.
While Stewart’s dinner guests wear mostly contemporary clothing, there is a notable lack of electronic devices or lighting, evoking a timeless ambience where an endless night of discussion and connection can be savored. The works are a celebration of face-to-face communication – imbued with the same richness as the dessert and the sweetness of the wine.
Handel's Messiah, 15" x 22", Oil On Board
James Stewart is a full-time painter based in Fredonia, Pennsylvania. His wide-ranging narrative and formal interests have led him to depict scenes from history, mythology and fiction. In 2021, he created a notable series of paintings influenced by Odessa-born, Ukrainian-American artist Ilya Kaminsky’s 2019 work, Deaf Republic. Gross McCleaf Gallery hosted that body of work and Ilya Kaminsky for a poetry reading. Afterward, the series traveled to the Ross Museum at Ohio Wesleyan University.
Stewart has received numerous prestigious awards – a Guggenheim Fellowship for travel and study in Europe, PAFA’s Cresson Award for European travel, and a Ballinglen Fellowship for travel to Ireland. His work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums across the Mid-Atlantic region. He has been represented by Gross McCleaf Gallery for thirty years.
Dance Hall 2, 62″ x 52″, Oil On Canvas
~ Exhibition Preview ~
March 7 - 30, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 9, 1 - 4 pm
