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.
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. Alongside the James Howell Foundation, Bigaignon is now representing James Howell's artistic legacy in France.
EXHIBITIONS AT THE GALLERY
Coming soon
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
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
Light Field, Anne Blanchet - James Howell. Raum Schröth, Museum Whilhelm-Morgner-Haus, Soest, Germany
2012
Works on Paper. Deborah Berke Partners, New York, NY
2011
Poesie der Farben. Das Kleine Museum, Weissenstadt, Germany
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 ISBN 0-9547742-5-6
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
ISBN 0-9652114-0-1
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
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
James Howell. Kenady Gallery, Gig Harbor, WA
1968
Flag Series. Pauli Dennis Gallery, Bainbridge Island, WA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
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 ISBN 978-3-00-056368-3
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
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 ISBN 978-3-00-042475-5
Hauptsache Grau #04 Konstruiertes. Mies van der Rohe Haus, Berlin,
Germany ISBN 978-3-935053-75-4
2012
Drucke und Zeichnungen (Prints and Drawings). Sammlung-Schröth, Museum Whilhelm-Morgner-Haus, Soest, Germany.
Works on Paper. BARTHA Contemporary, London, UK
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
Neuzugänge III, Licht und Raum (New Additions III, Light and Space). Sammlung-Schröth, Imperial House Arnsberg-Neheim and Marienschule, Soest, Germany ISBN 978-3-00-033173-2
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
El papel de las últimas vanguardias, New York: New Drawings 1946 – 2007 (The role of the latest avant-gardes). Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Esteban Vicente, Segovia, Spain
SITE Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM
BARTHA Contemporary, London, UK
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Incognito. Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
2008
Works on Paper: The Forman Collection. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
von Bartha Collections, Basel Switzerland
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
Incognito. Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
2007
Works on Paper. Werner Klein Gallery, Cologne
Works on Paper. Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
Incognito. Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2006
Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
Incognito. Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Sharon Truax Fine Art, Seattle, WA
2005
Paintings: The Natalie and Irving Forman Collection, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Connie Dietzschold, Sydney, Australia
Minimal Means. Kunstverein Eislingen, Eislingen, Germany
Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
2004
Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
2003
W. H. Kramarsky, 560 Broadway, New York, NY
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Bartha Contemporary, London, UK
Las Vegas Art Museum, Las Vegas, NV
2002
Bartha Contemporary, Royal College of Art, London, UK
Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
Concrete Art. Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Monochrome/Monochrome?. Florence Lynch Gallery, New York, NY
Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
Sharon Truax Fine Art, Venice, CA
2000
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
1999
Die Kunst der Line. Landesgalerie Oberösterreich Landesmuseum, Linz, Austria
STIL-American Fine Art, Düsseldorf, Germany
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Galerie von Bartha, Basel, Switzerland
Greenwich Village Studio Tour, New York, NY
Die Weisse Galerie, Köln, Germany
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1998
Jay-Walking transAtlantic. Die Weisse Galerie, Köln, Germany
Galerie von Bartha, Basel Art Fair, Basel, Switzerland
Sharon Truax Fine Art, Venice, CA
1997
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Linie und Schatten. Die Weisse Galerie, Cologne, Germany
1996
Sharon Truax Fine Art, Venice, CA
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Venice Art Walk, Venice, CA
1995
Sharon Truax Fine Art, Venice, CA
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Venice Art Walk, Venice, CA
1994
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
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
HONORS
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
PUBLICATIONS
2020, James Howell, Circa Press
