James Lavadour
James Lavadour
James
Lavadour
b. 1951 STUDIO IN PENDLETON, OR
Living and working on the Umatilla reservation in eastern Oregon, James Lavadour responds in paint to his experience of the land and the teachings and legends of his Walla Walla heritage. Painting in the early hours between 3 and 4 a.m. allows Lavadour to work without interruption, without natural light, and without too much conscious thought.
A self-taught artist, Lavadour uses a wide range of (sometimes unorthodox) techniques to apply paint. He works on up to 100 paintings at a time, shuffling through them with a new color with each pass, learning something new with each new application. Layering, pouring, scraping, and brushing, the artist acknowledges each effect as the pigments interact on the surface and suggest natural landscape phenomena.
His paintings—often multi-paneled groupings—resemble landscapes, but do not depict specific places. Instead, the artist states, “The land and I are one.” He views his paintings as extensions of himself. Therefore, they are also one with the land, rather than illustrations of it.
A self-taught artist, Lavadour uses a wide range of (sometimes unorthodox) techniques to apply paint. He works on up to 100 paintings at a time, shuffling through them with a new color with each pass, learning something new with each new application. Layering, pouring, scraping, and brushing, the artist acknowledges each effect as the pigments interact on the surface and suggest natural landscape phenomena.
His paintings—often multi-paneled groupings—resemble landscapes, but do not depict specific places. Instead, the artist states, “The land and I are one.” He views his paintings as extensions of himself. Therefore, they are also one with the land, rather than illustrations of it.
As I see it, the purpose of painting is not to give a representation or meaning, but to stimulate what we already have—our faculty to be able to look into the unknown and discover things and to elevate the spirit. Painting is a continual engagement with the world, looking deeper and finding good stuff.
— James Lavadour
