JAMIE PERRY
Curious Observations
FEBRUARY 2 - 25, 2024
Artist reception:  Friday, Feb 2, 4 - 7 pm

If you sense a bit of Edward Hopper in Jamie’s figurative paintings or a bit of Maynard Dixon in one of his landscapes, you’ve identified two of his inspirations in terms of style. In terms of subject matter, the native Southern Californian finds daily motivation from “being observational.” “I like to take an otherwise common scene or image and create a painting that can have humorous undertones or be thought-provoking,” he says. Though he grew up in Claremont, CA, Midwest settings (e.g., a lone farmhouse on flat land) appeal to his minimalist aesthetic. At the same time, he attributes his love for symbols of the American dream and lifestyle to “growing up in Southern California where there’s so much opportunity.”

Jamie further explains why people in his paintings are “faceless,” where the viewer stands behind or above the subject, and why the men typically wear suits and hats and sometimes hold an open umbrella. “I want to leave it up to the viewer to interpret who the person is. It adds an air of mystery,” he says. “And I like ’40s and ’50s attire, so a lot of my paintings have a retro theme, even though they might show a modern setting.” Another recurrent element in his work is his French bulldog, Ace.