Sandra Lee Gallery Contemporary Art

James Watts Solo Exhibition
Presented by Sandra Lee Gallery

Exhibition Dates: September 1^st-27^th
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 16^th, 5:30-7:30pm

James Watts, Arc, Mixed Media, 45 x 22 x 8 in.

Sandra Lee Gallery proudly announces a solo exhibition featuring works by James Watts, on display September 1^st – 27^th, 2010. The public is welcome to the opening reception on Thursday, September 16^th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, where the accomplished artist will be in attendance to discuss his latest works.

Watts is an internationally known artist, and has been involved with various nonprofit arts organizations that support and encourage the growth of vital art communities and cultures. For over two decades, the artist has continually renewed his practice. Channeling the experiences gained through persistent travel, Watts has maintained an interest in understanding the intersection between the man-made, and the natural world. Within this exhibition are a variety of recent creations, ranging from Watts’ more recognizable sculptural pieces to his newest paintings.

Watts’ sculptures are vulnerable yet robust, prominent and at the same time intimately engaging. Referencing both the natural landscapes around us and the industrial cities we erect and pollute, Watts initially draws our attention with identifiable objects—found, repurposed tree branches and splinters of wood, coils of wire, nails and scissors. The combine sculptures both evoke and evade their recognizable elements, transformed through the artist’s manipulation of structure and materiality. They gleam with chemically oxidized paint, appearing both heavy and weightless all at once. The paintings on the other hand seem to provide a different kind of profound intimacy. They are a representation of their sculptural counterparts, but instead evolve in two-dimensional form.

Sandra Lee Gallery is proud to display a harmonious range of works from James Watts, where an intersection of hope and growth meets the challenge of individual imagination.

For further information or to set up a media interview or preview of the exhibition with the gallery, contact Sandra Lee Gallery at 415.291.8000 or art@sandraleegallery.com. Please visit our website at www.sandraleegallery.com.