James Reed

James Reed approaches his landscapes in a simple and non-objective way.  The thrust of these works is focused on the horizon, which is the common characteristic throughout his paintings.  This horizontal break serves two purposes; one is to create depth and another is to create contrast where the two colors meet.  Although this particular characteristic is throughout Reed’s work, in this new body, his palette is much brighter, which gives more contrast from the sky to the ground.

“Nature and landscape are points of departure for me, with that my focus keeps me grounded in the present.  This motivates me to express my work in a non-representational way.”

Although the colors have been intensified, the moodiness and somberness still exist.  This gives his paintings a raw but simultaneously esthetic appearance, as if to a far and distant land.  By not adding landmarks, Reed creates a sense of non-civilization, which allows the viewer to escape to a simpler time.