Dio Horia presents The Gods Are Smiling on Us, an exhibition of works by Todd James at the gallery’s Mykonian location from June 15th through July 10th.
The Gods Are Smiling on Us is Todd James’s first solo exhibition at Dio Horia after a two-week long residency in Mykonos, organized by Dio Horia’s residency program. The gallery will host a soft opening reception on Friday, June 15th from 20:00-24:00 with the presence of the artist.
For The Gods Are Smiling on Us Todd James has created 9 new paintings and 12 new drawings that incorporate motifs that are central in his works. In addition, he has produced a new series of works inspired by his residency trip in Mykonos. Many of the works depict bikini- clad women in his signature vibrant palette. Often shown on holiday, his ladies exude a matter-of-fact, blasé mien that is belied by the vigor and energy of James’s saturated colors. His ongoing series of works depicting busy interiors and peaceful private spaces also make appearances in the exhibition. Finally, a new series of works inspired and referencing the architecture, scenery and colors of Mykonos is presented.
The unique painting technique that James employs plays heavily on the idea of rearranging the traditional perspective of foreground and background, often mimics psychedelic patterns, and focuses on the flat use of colors and shapes without shading or varied tones in his depictions.
The juxtaposition of these works in one exhibition form a rich study of ordinary life in the western world. Subtle, measured, ordinary scenes and objects are the starting points for James’s works, while the final visual effect reveals a largesse of feeling. This is expressed through the artist’s knowing sense of humor, his painterly practices, and the way he depicts mundane gestures, daily inspirations and found objects.