Lot 244
GEOFFREY JAMES, R.C.A.
Lot 244 Details
GEOFFREY JAMES, R.C.A.
VILLA PISANI, STRA, VENETO; VILLA MEDICI, ALLEY FROM THE PINCIO WALL TO THE COURTYARD GARDEN, 1984
gelatin silver prints
the first, signed on the reverse; signed, titled “Villa Reale or Pisani /82, dated (likely printed) /85 and inscribed “For Robert & Wendy” on original mat; the second signed on the reverse; titled and inscribed “for Robert Swain” on the original mat*
each image 3.25" x 10.5" — 8.3 x 26.7 cm.
Estimate $800-$1,000
Additional Images
Provenance:
Private Collection, Ontario
Literature:
James, Geoffrey. Meet the Artist, Geoffrey James – Clip 5, National Gallery of Canada, http://cybermuse.beaux-arts.ca/cybermuse/docs/JamesClip5_e.pdf.
Note:
Original mats accompany this lot
Geoffrey James’ subject matter ranges from ecological slag heaps and asbestos mines to formal gardens and stunning architecture. Many of his photographs imply the distressed relationship between humanity and nature, though he makes no claim about making art to change the collective conscience with regard to the environment. “…I don’t go around making photographs for environmental posters. I suppose primarily I’m making a record, I’m bearing witness.”
James, a self-taught photographer, moved from his birthplace of St. Asaph, Wales to Canada in 1966 and began exhibiting in the early 1970s. His photographs can be found in the collections of the Musee d’Art Contemporain (Montreal); the Canada Council Art Bank; Air Canada; the Vancouver Art Gallery; the Museum of Modern Art (New York); and the Art Gallery of Ontario. He is a recipient of many grants and awards and is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy.