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James Nares Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

British, b. 1953

To capture weightlessness, movement and emotion in a single, gestural brushstroke required transgender artist James Nares to reimagine her entire art-making process. In addition to suspending herself above the canvas, Nares also created her own calligraphic brushes and paint, practicing meticulous strokes over and over until finally achieving that perfect swipe.

Dubbed an “action painter” and a “scientific painter,” Nares’ process is the result of years of researching, testing and expanding on her style. Nares moved to New York City in 1974 after studying at the Chelsea College of Art. As she is also a musician, Nares fell into the city’s “no wave” scene — a brief avant-garde music and visual art movement concentrated in downtown Manhattan. The experimentation with noise, and dissonance that became popular among no wave artists likely informed Nares’ art style and fueled her passion for creative experimentation throughout the 1980s.

Nares is represented by the Kasmin Gallery, which has exhibited her work since 1991. The artist’s solo exhibitions include 2014’s “High Speed Drawings” and 2013’s “Road Paint Paintings.” The latter featured works that Nares created with thermoplastic paint — the same type of paint that is used on tarmacs and roads. Her work is part of the collections of the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Whitney Museum of American Art. The Milwaukee Art Museum staged a retrospective on Nares in 2019.

While primarily known for her artwork, Nares' film projects have been part of solo exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and presented at the 2008 Anthology Film Archives in New York and at the New York IFC Center in 2011.

On 1stDibs, find authentic James Nares prints, drawings and paintings.

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Artist: James Nares
Artaud's Arms (Exhibited at Brooklyn Museum)
By James Nares
Located in New York, NY
JAMES NARES Artaud's Arms (Exhibited at Brooklyn Museum), 1988 Color Monotype on Gampi Torinoko Paper 36 × 27 inches Signed James Nares and dated '88 l...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist James Nares Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Monotype

Jamie Nares, Original flower monotype (unique, hand signed) Framed, de-accession
By James Nares
Located in New York, NY
James Nares Untitled flower monotype, 1988 Monotype on hand made paper Pencil signed and dated by James Nares on the lower right front Frame included: floated in the original wood fr...
Category

1980s Contemporary James Nares Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Handmade Paper, Monotype

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James Nares drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic James Nares drawings and watercolor paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of drawings and watercolor paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by James Nares in monotype, handmade paper, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1980s and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large James Nares drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 29 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Ben Hancocks, Les Anderson, and Robert Somerton. James Nares drawings and watercolor paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $8,800 and tops out at $25,000, while the average work can sell for $16,900.

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