James Zamora: Being Realistic

JAMES ZAMORA: BEING REALISTIC

January 13 - February 17, 2024

Press Release

Ro2 Art is excited to present Being Realistic, an exhibition of new paintings by Savannah-based artist James Zamora. The exhibition will open January 13, 2024 and remain on view through February 17, 2024, at Ro2 Art Gallery, located at 2606 Bataan St., Dallas, TX, with an opening reception to be held January 13 from 7-10pm.

In his suite of new paintings Being Realistic, James Zamora continues his explorations of everyday objects and scenes through highly detailed, realistic paintings. Zamora’s meticulous process is informed by classical painting methods but expands beyond traditional media to include several works that use digital software to simulate highly refined still-lives. Working from life, he is able to capture the glisten of coagulated sugar in gummy bears, the light on a Dairy Queen Blizzard, the warmth of flower petals, and the sparkle of glass Coke bottles. By using high contrast, impressive detail, and occasional gestural brushstrokes, the images he conjures are appealing, even seductive, belying the complex relationship between objects and consumerism that underpins much of his work. In this way, Zamora merges his painterly language with commercial aesthetics to subtly examine the beguiling visuality of a product-driven culture. In the exhibition Being Realistic, Zamora both celebrates and questions the objects, images, and places we are surrounded by on a daily basis in thought-provoking, engaging paintings.

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About the Artist

James Zamora investigates current trends and their effects on the consumer. Born in Graham, TX in 1988, he earned his BFA in painting and drawing from The University of North Texas in 2010, then an MFA in painting from Texas Woman's University in 2015. Zamora's work has appeared in several publications including New American Paintings West #114 and New American Paintings West #126. His work is exhibited nationally on a regular basis and is in numerous personal and public collections. Currently, Zamora is a Foundations Studies Professor at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA, where he lives and works.

ARTIST statement

As a realist painter I am attracted to the technical complexities of everyday life. My paintings are about the particularity between the relationship of our eyes with the subtleties of our immediate reaction. My paintings are often associated with photorealism, but as one inspects the paintings closer there is evidence of human presence. Just as when someone zooms into a photograph there will eventually be pixels, one can zoom into my paintings and see brushstrokes. I welcome the painterly character of my paintings while adding in the amount of details my eyes are able to record.