JAMES FRANCIS GILL WOMEN IN CARS
As one of the last living Pop Art pioneers, and one of the first to investigate the modern cult of celebrity, James Francis Gill shot to fame with his vibrant artworks in the 1960s, becoming an almost overnight success, with pieces finding their way into galleries and museums within a matter of weeks. His Women in Cars series has seen huge success since its conception in the 1960s and remains firmly rooted in Pop Art history with its obsession with popular culture and colour. At the beginning of the 1960s, LIFE and TIME magazines regularly printed black and white images of movie stars and famous people getting out of cars, in early version of paparazzi shots. Gill saw this as a visual stimulus to incorporate large areas of colour into his paintings, as well as the reflections and shapes in the windscreen and windows, combined with portraits of beautiful women and famous men. The Women in Cars were born.
Women in Cars could offer something the magazines couldn’t – colour – and when the pieces began appearing in galleries and museums, they were the epitome of cool modernity, giving the public a chance to see celebrity in a new light. One of the earliest versions of the series, ‘Laughing Woman in Car and Close Up’ was purchased by and exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) New York, hanging between works by Picasso and Odilon Redon.
“When I left his office (Felix Landau), I looked at the artworks I had brought with me. Four canvases. Three of them showed my “Women in Cars”. One of these three paintings would soon be on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, next to works of Edward Hopper, Pablo Picassso and Robert Rauschenberg. But I could not have known that at the time. I had just arrived…” James Francis Gill
James Francis Gill, in front of his Marilyn Triptych. Since 1962 in the Museum of Modern Art, New York
In his process, Gill artistically describes two worlds within his Women in Cars . On the one hand, conveying safety and security in the interior of the car, here the individual can be as she is and give free rein to her feelings. On the other hand, the moment of leaving the car is synonymous with a step into ‘famed’ reality, outside. Who can see me? How do I appear to my surroundings? Am I being the person they want me to be? Gill captured the moment. Press and flashbulbs. One wrong move – thanks to the paparazzi, the next morning the whole world would know. Gill’s approach of portraying famous personalities with Women in Cars was quickly developed further. Once again, as with his famous ‘Marilyn Triptych’, Gill was way ahead of his time, showing what the paparazzi couldn’t, a sensitive, reflective understanding of the figure behind the photograph. Gill’s fascination with the subject would later become all the more poignant in 1972 with his choice to step away from the limelight, and retreat into self-imposed exile at the height of his career, owing to the pressures and lifestyle of celebrity status.
“Gill’s “Women in Cars” are an example of Pop Art permanence. They use forms familiar to us to open new perspectives. They take us on a perpetual journey, mysterious yet communicative.” Women in Cars , coffee table book 2022
Gill didn’t share his art publicly for over 25 years, however he continued to develop more variations of Women in Cars . In the late 1990s and early 2000s his works showed a mix of abstraction and figuration, created using Gill’s love of media reproduction through printing, digital drawing and overlaying of paint drawing on his architectural background, creating colour variations and occasionally overlaying his own previous works. Often using new colours and shapes Gill updated the appearance of the women and treating the cars to new modern metallic paints. Throughout this process Gill transported the Women in Cars series into the modern age by depicting contemporary celebrity figures at the time of painting. His most recent works in the series, created from 2020 – 22, are acrylic paintings and studies created with wonderful colours and a youthful verve; modern and accomplished works remaining true to his Pop Art roots.
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
Gill’s original works are sketched in pencil before he applies layers of acrylics to the canvas.
In his original paintings, Gill uses the natural setting provided by the car. He also uses a glossy paint finish that makes the whole artwork seem alive. His most recent “Women in Cars” canvas works appear fresh by incorporating car-like colour in the form of a metallic paint. The automobiles he depicts thus appear more modern and in keeping up with the times, transporting the Women in Cars series into the present.
YOU MADE MY DAY, 2022 Acrylic on Canvas Image Size 50cm x 40.5cm
MM IN CAR, 2020 Acrylic on Canvas Image Size 71cm x 50.5cm
SHADOWS IN THE CANYON, 2020 Acrylic on Canvas Image Size 79cm x 104cm
Gill’s urge to constantly try new things has always captivated him and many of his studies are never realised by him on canvas. As a result of his exuberant wealth of ideas, he creates studies for paintings. These can function as a draft for new acrylic paintings however the resulting works on paper are of such high quality that Gill has provided them with his signature, making them a unique and an integral part of his body of work. Studies are created on an experimental basis and encompass colour variations from pastel to Pop Art. Each cohesive study can be changed in a small way such as overlaying linework to capture refracting light to entirely new colour blocking depending on what Gill is trying to achieve. Each study an exploration into the way light and colour effect the elements of an image, as small changes, even nuances, are important to him.
STUDY FOR PAINTING ON PAPER
This results in unique, one-of-a-kind works on paper, finished with acrylic paint.
MARILYN LEAVING, 2023 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 27.5cm x 27.5cm
ROLE MODEL, 2023 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 25cm x 25cm
“Once again, as with his famous “Marilyn Triptych”, Gill was way ahead of his time, showing what the paparazzi couldn’t, a sensitive, reflective understanding of the figure ‘ behind’ the image.” Frankie Washington, Castle Fine Art, 202 3
CHEETAH GIRL, 2022 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 17cm x 21.5cm
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’, 2022 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 28.5cm x 26cm
SUNSET REFLECTION, 2022 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 25.5cm x 25cm
ANOTHER KIND OF EXPERIENCE, 2023 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 21cm x 21cm
TAKE A REST Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 55cm x 40.5cm
CALIFORNIA GIRL, 2022 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 27.5cm x 27cm
“What’s special about Gill is his ability to transform and elevate the existing to a new, adapted level.” Women in Cars , coffee table book 2022
MARILYN LEAVING Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 50.5cm x 40.5cm
DANCE OF LONELINESS Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 60cm x 39cm
CALIFORNIA CRUISING Acrylic on Canvas Image Size 47cm x 63.5 cm
COOL CAT, 2022 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 31cm x 25.5cm
BEFORE WEEKEND, 2023 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 27cm x 27cm
ON THE KIND OF NATURE, 2022 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 26cm x 26cm
I PREFER PINK, 2022 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 26.5cm x 26cm
EMMA Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 49.5cm x 49.5cm
LOVED BY ILLUSION, 2022 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 28cm x 28cm
““Women in Cars” manifest in all their colourfulness and timeless presence, without ever losing sight of the historical starting point.” Women in Cars , Coffee Table Book 2022
RELAX IN THE ROADSTER, 2022 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 27cm x 21cm
WAITING FOR THE SUNSET, 2020 Acrylic on Canvas Image Size 18.5cm x 26cm
I SHOULDN’T DO IT, 2022 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 26cm x 26.5cm
QUIT PLAYING GAMES Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 49cm x 39cm
IN ONE PLACE OR ANOTHER, 2023 Study For Painting On Paper Image Size 28cm x 28cm
Born in Tahoka,Texas in 1934, James Francis Gill received his first commission at just 10 years old, to render a pair of horse’s heads.At that time in Texas, Gill was not naturally immersed in the art scene and after attending San Angelo High School and touring with the United States Marine Corps, he studied architecture at the University of Texas from 1956 to 1960. However, he couldn’t ignore his talent for long and with the encouragement of architect Bruce Goff, he began to focus on painting, studying art and sculpture on a painting scholarship at the university from 1960 to 1961. After catching the eye of noted art dealer Felix Landau in 1962, who had already introduced artists like Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Francis Bacon and David Hockney to the US art market, he was instantly catapulted into a world of celebrities and international success.That same year, his ‘Marilyn Triptych’ artwork was added to the prestigious Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection.
His artistic style was lauded by publications like LIFE and the New York Times, with the latter remarking that his work was “jazzy and up-to-date...an artist to watch”. He went on to be commissioned to paint the covers of famous titles like TIME magazine and capture public figures like John Wayne and Alexander Solzhenitsyn. From 1965, he taught at universities including the University of Idaho and University of California before being offered a visiting professorship at the University of Oregon. His work in these years often featured social and political affairs such as the Vietnam War. Gill created a series of anti-war paintings which dealt with civil and military leaders. The combination of his expressionist art and his graphite pencil went against the trend of this time. In Gill’s arsenal of work from this time, we see what would become some of the emerging styles of the household names of Pop Art. His recognition as an artist has not only been based on the portraits of famous personalities, but to a large extent on his varied works some of which turned the political power structure and the war itself into question.An important work from this period is ‘Political Prisoner’ (1968). In 1967, alongside Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg and Edward Hopper, he represented the United States at the Sao Paulo 9 Biennale in Brazil – marking his breakthrough in the international art world. In 1972, despite huge success, he chose to go into self-imposed exile to develop his artistic expression away from the constraints of the celebrity limelight. During this time, his ‘Marilyn Triptych’ stayed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it resides to this day.
Then in 1997, he received a call from Professor David McCarthy at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Having never planned or pursued his return, the distinct footprints he had left in the world of art meant his re-discovery was only a matter of time.The subsequent article written by McCarthy in the magazine American Art marked the beginning of his return, and re-introduction to the public art sphere. In recent years, accolades have included a retrospective exhibition at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts in Texas, in a 2007 documentary titled James Gill Full Circle. Notoriously elusive, he resides just outside of his hometown of San Angelo.
JAMES FRANCIS GILL TODAY
James Francis Gill’s work is as relevant as ever, with celebrity images still being of massive interest. Through personal acquaintances with Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, John Wayne, Jim Morrison, Martin Luther King Jr. and Marlon Brando, Gill as an artist has become the witness of a whole generation. The re-discovery of his early success, and lasting presence in museums and art literature has exerted an unbroken fascination with him. His Women in Cars works mix contemporary culture with classic Pop Art images, so that when you own a James Francis Gill piece, you own a piece of Pop Art history, created by an artist who has had a series of prestigious exhibitions, and influenced generations of artists. Visit one of our 37 galleries or talk to an art consultant to find out about owning one of these iconic images which are a must for any Pop Art collector.
SELECTED MUSEUMS
• Museum of Modern Art, NY, USA • Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, USA
• Berkeley Art Museum, University of California, Berkeley, USA • Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., USA • National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., USA • Stanford University Center for Visual Arts, CA, USA • San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX, USA • Santa Barbara Museum of Fine Art, Santa Barbara, CA, USA • The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA • National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Washington D.C., USA • Museum of the Southwest, Midland, TX, USA • Museum Moderner Kunst der Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna, Austria • Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel, Germany • National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington D.C., USA • The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Odessa, TX, USA
Andy Warhol
Roy Lichtenstein
SELECTED COLLECTORS
Tom Wesselmann
• John and Dominique De Menil • Louis Kaufman (Violinist) and Dr. Annette Kaufman • Marlo Thomas, actress • William Inge, writer and scriptwriter • Dennis Hopper, actor • Dr. William Emboden, art critic and professor • Felix Landau, gallery owner • Jack Hirschmann, poet • John Wayne, actor - commissioned Gill to paint him • Tony Curtis, actor - commissioned Gill to paint him • Dalton Trumbo, author and screenplay writer • George Axelrod, author and screenplay writer • Christopher Isherwood, author and screenplay writer • Gavin Lambert, author and screenplay writer • Julie Christie, actress • Richard Chamberlain, actor • Lauren Bacall, actress • Otis Chandler, publisher L.A. Times
Robert Rauschenberg
James Francis Gill
James Rosenquist
Frank Stella
Robert Indiana
Claes Oldenberg
PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS 1956-1970 • Texas Fine Arts Show, Abilene, TX, USA, 1956-1961 • West Texas Fine Arts Show, San Angelo, TX, USA, 1956-1961 • Madison Gallery, New York City, NY, USA, 1962 • Alan Gallery, New York City, NY, USA, 1962 • Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1963 • Alan Gallery, New York City, NY, USA, 1963 • Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1964 • Alan Gallery, New York City, NY, USA, 1964 • Galleria George Lester, Rome, Italy, 1964 • Sixty-seventh Annual American Exhibition, Art Institute of Chicago, IL, USA, 1964 • University of California, UCLA Art Galleries, Los Angeles, USA, 1964 • Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA, 1964-1965 • Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1965 • New Acquisitions, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA, 1965 • “Art Across America”, M. Knoedler Gallery, New York, USA, 1965
• Alan Gallery, New York City, NY, USA, 1966 • Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1966 • Crocker Gallery, Sacramento, CA, USA, 1966 • Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1967 • Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1968 • Young California: Painting in the 60s“, Tampa Bay Art Center and Tour, FL, USA, 1968 • Neue Figuration USA – Malerei, Plastik, Film 1963-1968 - Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, Germany,1969 - Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Germany,1969 - Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, Austria, 1969 • Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1969 • Civic Center, Topanga, CA, USA, 1970
Since his rediscovery in 1997, Gill’s work has been exhibited in more than 100 museums and galleries worldwide.
The images contained within this literature are an artistic representation of the collection.To best experience our art, we recommend you contact your local gallery to arrange a viewing. © Washington Green 2023. The content of this brochure is subject to copyright and no part can be reproduced without prior permission..
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