James Anthony Bearden: Technical and Aesthetic Revelations

In the two years following the artist’s last solo exhibition – where the material reality of steel was evident in both its title and monochromatic appearance – Mr. Bearden has sought to break free from pre-conceived judgement of his medium, as well as the persistent misnomers applied to his art.

While subtle color play has always existed in his previous works, the development in his coloring technique — from painted polychrome to dyed glass enamel — allowed for dramatic saturation and stunning complexity in his new palette, bringing heightened immediacy to his biomorphic and anthropomorphic imagery. The artist has always challenged the gravitational reality of steel, but he has found new expressions towards verticality and delicacy, transcending material and elevating function. The open compositions, ranging from ornamental tracery to dynamic use of negative space, allow for the interplay of light and air, animating the environment with ever-changing viewing possibilities.

This exhibition took inspirations from the naturalist traditions and fantastical imagery of Early Netherlandish paintings, as well as the Gesamtkunstwerk philosophy of fin de siècle interiors. All pieces are presented in cohesive groups of varying numbers — a nod to modernist modular designs, showing their endless potentials for variation, evolution, subtraction or addition; at once prêt à porter and haute couture.

As a leading gallery in vintage design and the curator for the exhibit, Weinberg Modern has been a producer of rigorous scholarship and an advocate for an environmentally compassionate lifestyle. Weinberg Modern is presenting the second solo show with James Bearden, whose sustainably-minded sourcing and intellectual integrity perfectly reflects the gallery’s vision.