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James Bama Art

American, b. 1926
A native New Yorker, James Bama creates photo-real figures and paintings that capture the old "wild west." He converts his many photographs into paintings whose surfaces are so smooth and satiny that some people refer to him as the "Vermeer of the West" (McGarry 30). He graduated from New York City's High School of Music and Arts and then served in the military for three years. He attended the Art Students League and became a renowned illustrator in New York, working for Saturday Evening Post, Argosy, and Reader's Digest. He also did over sixty book covers for Doc Savage books of Bantam Press. In 1968, he and his wife moved to Wyoming, where he continued his illustration work and was not especially interested in western themes. However, attending pow wows, rodeos, and reenactments, he became increasingly interested in the local people and in 1971 gave up illustration. He works from a home studio built by him and his wife. He photographs his subjects in black and white, enlarges the photos, and makes an outline on tracing paper.
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"The Volunteer - Civil War" Historical Portrait, 742/1500
"The Volunteer - Civil War" Historical Portrait, 742/1500

"The Volunteer - Civil War" Historical Portrait, 742/1500

By James Bama

Located in Soquel, CA

Limited edition offset print of the original photorealistic painting, a portrait that portrays a historical reenactment of a civil war volunteer by James Bama...

Category

1980s American Realist James Bama Art

Materials

Paper, Ink, Offset

The Devil in Bucks County, Paperback Cover

The Devil in Bucks County, Paperback Cover

By James Bama

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Medium: Oil on Board Signature: Signed Lower Center This illustration was published as the paperback cover of The Devil of Bucks County by Edmund Schiddel (Bantam Books, 1967).

Category

1960s James Bama Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Book Cover Illustration: The Detective
Book Cover Illustration: The Detective

Book Cover Illustration: The Detective

By James Bama

Located in Fort Washington, PA

Signature: Signed Lower Right

Category

20th Century James Bama Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

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Previously Available Items
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James Bama art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic James Bama art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by James Bama in paint, paper, board and more. Not every interior allows for large James Bama art, so small editions measuring 14 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Cecil Crosley Bell, Gladys Rockmore Davis, and John McCormick. James Bama art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $675 and tops out at $15,000, while the average work can sell for $12,500.

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