JAmes Howell
James Howell (1935 – 2014) was an American artist whose career spanned over five decades, marked by a profound dedication to abstract art. Known for his meticulous methodology and the subtle interplay of color, light, and form, Howell's work delves into the nuanced relationships between light and shadow, creating meditative pieces that invite viewers to reconsider their perceptions of space and depth.
Showing an interest in art from an early age, Howell attending the Nelson Atkins Art Institute as a child, before graduating from Stanford University with degrees in English literature (1957) and architecture (1961). He then decided to pursue his artistic practice, encouraged to work with acrylics, a new medium at the time. In the 1980s, fascinated by the perceptible effects of the fog and mist of the San Juan Islands, where he had set up his studio, the artist gradually freed himself from colour and form. He adopted the neutral, non-contrasting palette of grey, which he described in his writings as ‘a monument to all in-betweens’. Howell tended to freed from colour even in his immediate environment, gradually removing his coloured objects so that he could perceive the slightest variations of light in his work. In his paintings, each grey belongs to another, in a kind of continuum. None of them exist alone: only in interaction, transition and transformation. In the 90s, his ‘light to shadow’ series culminated his fascination with grey, as a result of his decade long commitment to paring down and simplifying his compositions.
Howell has exhibited extensively across the United States and internationally. His solo exhibitions include significant showcases such as Twilight - 21 Works by James Howell at the New York Studio School (2024), Josef Albers - James Howell at the Josef Albers Museum in Bottrop, Germany (2022), and Light Field at the Kunstverein Eislingen in Germany (2017). In 2024, his career and creative process were also the subject of the documentary Shades of Infinity, directed by Halina Dryscka. In 2025/2026, The Parrish Museum (NY) hosts a major retrospective exhibition, "Endless Limits: The Work of James Howell, 1962–2014, which presents a comprehensive view of the American painter, through works ranging from the early 1960s to 2014 that highlight an evolving career with persistent exploration. In 2024, the documentary by Halina Dyrschka entitled "Thoughts of Infinity" explores Howell’s unique perspective, examining his fascination with the color gray and uncovering the philosophical underpinnings of his art through the tranquil waters and woods of Washington State.
With their serial aspect and achromatic field of values, Howell's paintings relate as much to the minimalist tendencies of contemporary art as they are detached from it: from this apparent unity, the play of values, the method and the constancy deployed in Howell's artistic vision are also reminiscent of those of Joseph Albers and Roman Opalka.
Howell's work is included in prestigious collections, including the Albright-Knox Art Museum in Buffalo, NY, and the Folkwang Museum in Essen, Germany.
PUBLICATION
SOLO SHOWS
2025 “Endless Limits : The work of James Owell, 1962-2014”, Parrish Art museum, Water Mill, United-States
2024 “Twilight: 21 Works by James Howell” , New York Studio School, NY
2022 “Josef Albers - James Howell” , Josef Albers Museum, Bottrop, Germany
2017 “Light Field, Anne Blanchet - James Howell” , Kunstverein Eislingen, Eislingen, Germany
2016 “Decoded, James Howell” Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2012 “Works on Paper” Deborah Berke Partners, New York, NY
2011 “Poesie der Farben” Das Kleine Museum, Weissenstadt, Germany
2011 “Survey” , Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
2010 “Progression of Six” , von Bartha Chesa, Chanf, Switzerland
2008 “The Grey Count”, Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
2006 “James Howell” Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2005 “Ten Paintings” Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2004 “Ten Grays” Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Progressions. Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
2000 “James Howell” Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
Series Ten. Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1998 “Bilder” STIL-American Fine Art, Düsseldorf, Germany
1995 Series 1.9 Set 68.98. Sharon Truax Fine Art, Venice, CA
Gradient Intervals - Series 6.4. Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM 1993 “New Works Series” , University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1992 Light Stone Veils. Windows Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
1990 James Howell. Wagner Gallery, Tacoma, WA
1990 Time Series. Merrill Place Gallery, Seattle, WA
1982 James Howell. Gump’s Fine Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1980 James Howell. Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, WA
1979 – 1978 James Howell. Kiku Gallery, Seattle, WA
1976 James Howell. University Unitarian Fine Arts Gallery, Seattle, WA
Port Blakely Series. Keller Gallery, Salem, OR
1974 James Howell. Linda Farris Gallery, Seattle, WA
1971 James Howell. Polly Friedlander Gallery, Seattle, WA
1971 James Howell. Kenady Gallery, Gig Harbor, WA
1968 Flag Series. Pauli Dennis Gallery, Bainbridge Island, WA
GROUP SHOWS
2025 “Atto 1/3, Sotto la luce” Rhinoceros Gallery x Bigaignon, Rome, Italy
2024 “Nuances infinies”, reserve, Bigaignon, Pars, France
2022 REPETITIVE FORMS (Sometimes Singular), Museum Wilhelm Morgner, Soest, Germany
2019 A Day’s Work. Sammlung-Schröth, Museum Whilhelm-Morgner-Haus, Soest, Germany
2017 Format 35 Years of the Schröth Collection, 1981 - 2016. Raum Schröth and Raum Hans Kaisers , Museum Whilhelm-Morgner-Haus, Soest, Germany
2016 Light Field, Anne Blanchet - James Howell. Raum Schröth, Museum Whilhelm-Morgner-Haus, Soest, Germany2016
2016 Konstruktion - Construction. Raum Schröth, Museum Whilhelm-Morgner-Haus, Soest, Germany
On Paper. Minus Space, Brooklyn, NY
2015 Expanded Field: Four New York Painters. James Howell, Winston Roeth, Kate Shepherd, and Joan Waltemath. Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
2014 6th Biennal der Zeichnung. Kunstverein, Eislingen, Germany
2014 Colour and System. Galerie Werner Klein, Cologne, Germany
2013 Neuzugänge V, Farben (New additions V, Colors). Sammlung-Schröth, Museum Whilhelm-Morgner-Haus and Marienschule Soest, Germany
Hauptsache Grau #04 Konstruiertes. Mies van der Rohe Haus, Berlin, Germany
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2012 Drucke und Zeichnungen (Prints and Drawings). Sammlung-Schröth, Museum Whilhelm-Morgner-Haus, Soest, Germany.
2012 Works on Paper. BARTHA Contemporary, London, UK
2012 Neuzugänge IV (New Arrivals IV). Wedinghausen Monastery, Sammlung-Schröth, Ansberg, Germany ISBN 978-3-00-037666-5
2011 The First 30 Years, Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA
2011 Neuzugänge III, Licht und Raum (New Additions III, Light and Space). Sammlung-Schröth, Imperial House Arnsberg-Neheim and Marienschule, Soest, Germany
2010 Neuzugänge II, Lichtbereich (New Additions II, Light and Area). Sammlung-Schröth, Marienschule, Soest, Germany
2009 Neuzugänge I (New Additions I). Sammlung-Schröth, Marienschule, Soest, Germany
2009 El papel de las últimas vanguardias, New York: New Drawings 1946 – 2007 (The role of the latest avant-gardes). Museo de Arte 2009 Contemporáneo Esteban Vicente, Segovia, Spain
2009 SITE Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM
2009 BARTHA Contemporary, London, UK
2009 Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2009 Incognito. Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
2008 Works on Paper: The Forman Collection. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2008 von Bartha Collections, Basel Switzerland
2008 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
2008 Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
2008 Incognito. Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
2007 Works on Paper. Werner Klein Gallery, Cologne
2007 Works on Paper. Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
2007 Incognito. Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
2007 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
2007 Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2006 Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2006 Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
2006 Incognito. Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
2006 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
2006 Sharon Truax Fine Art, Seattle, WA
2005 Paintings: The Natalie and Irving Forman Collection, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2005 Connie Dietzschold, Sydney, Australia
2005 Minimal Means. Kunstverein Eislingen, Eislingen, Germany
2005 Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2005 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
2005 Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
2004 Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
2004 Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2004 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
2004 Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2003 W. H. Kramarsky, 560 Broadway, New York, NY
2003 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
2003 Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2003 Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2003 Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
2003 Las Vegas Art Museum, Las Vegas, NV
2002 Bartha Contemporary, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2002 Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2002 Concrete Art. Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2002 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
2002 Monochrome/Monochrome?. Florence Lynch Gallery, New York, NY
2002 Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2002 Sharon Truax Fine Art, Venice, CA
2000 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
2000 Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
1999 Die Kunst der Line. Landesgalerie Oberösterreich Landesmuseum, Linz, Austria
1999 STIL-American Fine Art, Düsseldorf, Germany
1999 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1999 Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
1999 Greenwich Village Studio Tour, New York, NY
1999 Die Weisse Galerie, Köln, Germany
1999 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1998 Jay-Walking transAtlantic. Die Weisse Galerie, Köln, Germany
1998 Galerie von Bartha, Basel Art Fair, Basel, Switzerland
1998 Sharon Truax Fine Art, Venice, CA
1997 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1997 Linie und Schatten. Die Weisse Galerie, Cologne, Germany
1996 Sharon Truax Fine Art, Venice, CA
1996 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1996 Venice Art Walk, Venice, CA
1995 Sharon Truax Fine Art, Venice, CA
1995 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1995 Venice Art Walk, Venice, CA
1994 Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1994 Venice Art Walk, Venice, CA
1992 Turner/Krull Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1990 Three Seattle Luminists, Italia, Seattle, WA
1980 Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, WA
DISTINCTIONS
1970 Westchester Museum Annual, New York, Juror: Dore Ashton
1961 Humanities Prize in Architecture, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
1953 Art Prize, The Hill School, Pottstown, PA
COLLECTIONS
Albers Museum, Bottrop Germany
Albright-Knox Art Museum, Buffalo, NY
Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR
von Bartha Collections, Basel, Switzerland
Deborah Berke Partners Architects, New York, NY
Columbia University, New York, NY
Comet AG, Flamatt, Switzerland
Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Joost van den Bergh Ltd., London, UKMr. and Mrs. Robert Halperin, Atherton, CA
Das Kleine Museum – Kultur auf der Peunt, Weissenstadt, Germany
Sally and Wynn Kramarsky, New York, NY
Leschot Foundation, Berne, Switzerland
Das Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany
New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM
Museo de arte Contemporéaneo Estában Vicente, Segovia, Spain
Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA
Raum Schröth, Museum Whilhelm-Morgner-Haus, Soest, Germany
Sammlung-Schröth, Soest, Germany