Every time we see Jim and Gail Thomas, at art openings or Little Theater gigs, we talk about getting together. We bought one of Jim’s pieces, a near life-size figurative charcoal drawing, at Gallery 15, which at the time (2001) was the best gallery in the city. Jim and Gail ran the place and had one memorable show after the other of local art stars’ work. We moved to a new home/studio around the same time they were building a new home/studio and we would compare notes when we met. It is easy to get Jim going when you talk art. And is there really any better topic? He taught at RIT for 31 years and knows his stuff. Jim has a keen eye and has bought some beautiful pieces of work from others.
From light sculptures to big oil paintings and pastel still life abstractions, Jim’s work is always derived from the figure. He says he is influenced by De Kooning, Bacon and Gorky. That is enough to chew on. It was such a pleasure to see their place and talk over lunch. Jim plays tuba in the New Horizons Band and has work at the R Gallery in their current group show.
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De Kooning
Thank you.
In his later years De Kooning had dementia and people would show up at his studio with a bottle of whiskey and get him drunk so he’d give them paintings. The paintings he did during this period look completely different than his other work and some experts dismiss them as not really being De Koonings. I like them. The same thing happened during Rothko’s last year though I don’t think he had Alzheimer’s. He was sick and took his own life.
Art history.