James Havard

Art Brokerage: James Havard American Artist: b. 1937. James Havard (born 1937) is an American painter and sculptor. He was a pioneer of abstract illusionism in the 1970s. In the 1980s he changed his style into a form of abstract expressionism influenced by Native American and tribal cultures as well as outsider art. Drawing inspiration from outsider and tribal art, Havard stands within a tradition that includes such notable artists as Paul Gauguin, Cy Twombly, Jean Dubuffet, Jean-Michel Basquiat, andJoseph Beuys. James Pinkney Havard was born in Galveston, TX in 1937. He received a bachelor of science degree in art from Sam Houston State College (now Sam Houston State University) in Huntsville, TX in 1959. From 1961 to 1965 he studied at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, PA. There he was influenced by realist painters Ben Kamihira and Hobson Pittman. His career can be divided into three broad periods: realism (1960s), abstract illusionism (1970s), and abstract expressionism with tribal and outsider influences (1980s and beyond). His early work was realistic and traditional, including landscapes, churches, and figuration much in the same styles as Camille Corot, Edouard Manet, and Edgar Degas. Beginning in 1967, he broke away from realism and went through a period of experimentation with various abstract and contemporary styles (e.g., monochromatic paintings). By the late 1970s Havard was considered one of the founders of abstract illusionism along with Al Held, Jack Lembeck, John Clem Clarke, George D. Green, and Tony King. Listings wanted.