James Jarvaise (1924 - 2015)
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JAMES JARVAISE (1924 - 2015) Jarvaise was born in New York City, but later lived in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and eventually moved to Los Angeles in 1946. He was educated at Carnegie Tech. in Pittsburgh, PA.. Ecole Dart/ Biarritz, France with Fernand Léger, and earned a B.F.A from the University of Southern California in 1952, studied at Yale in 1953 and earned an M.F.A. in 1954 from the University of Southern California. Jarvaise relocated to Santa Barbara in 1969 and from 1991 forward served as Head of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Oxnard College. Museum of Modern Art curator Dorothy Canning Miller selected James Jarvaise for inclusion in the 1959 Sixteen Americans exhibition. The caliber of his work (he was selected in the class of Jay deFeo, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Rauschenberg, and Frank Stella) was and is unquestionable. This exhibition had the potential to propel his career to great heights. However, while Jarvaise's phenomenal gifts were showcased on the West Coast, a teaching job, a growing family, and a desire for a less urban lifestyle rearranged Jarvaise's priorities. Despite obvious talent and a promising beginning, Jarvaise did not become a household name. This however, did not deter him from continuing with his art. In 2012, Louis Stern Fine Arts set out to remedy Jarvaise' obscurity with their "James Jarvaise And The Hudson River Series" exhibition. His most recent exhibition, "James Jarvaise: Collages Redux" at Louis Stern Fine Arts featured a selection of his latest work from 1989-2013. The show earned him a positive review on KCRW ArtTalk by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp. The review praises the work for being the most youthful art on exhibit in April 2015. James Jarvaise was 91, and energetically attended the opening. His paintings and collages can be found at the Smithsonian in Washington DC, and the MoMA in New York. CHRONOLOGY 1924 Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on February 16 to James Alexis (1888-1965) and Suzanne (Conlin) Jarvaise (1890-1978). (His father, born in Turkey of French parents, was a man of many interests. A scholar of Greek studies, who spoke five languages, he was a collector of antiques. As a result of his various interests, the family, which included his sisters, Julia and Catherine, spent time in such places as New York City and Chicago, but Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania remained its main residence until 1940.) 1933-1934 Attends Carnegie Institute of Technology, Department of Painting and Design (now Carnegie Mellon College of Fine Arts), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; studies under Sam Rosenberg 1937 Graduates from Henry Clay Frick Elementary School and begins high school at Taylor Allderdice 1940 Family moves to Los Angeles where he enters John Marshall High School 1942 Graduates from John Marshall High School 1943 Enlists in the United States Army on April 23 in Los Angeles; receives training at Camp Roberts, California; he is selected for the Army Air Corps and receives training at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln 1944-1945 Is shipped overseas to Heidelberg, Germany with the United States Army Air Corps, where he remains until the war ends 1945-1946 Remains in Europe and travels through France and Germany Studies briefly with Fernand Leger in his studios in Paris and Biarritz, France; meets Matsumi “Mike” Kanemitsu while studying in Paris 1946 Returns to the Los Angeles 1946-1952 Enters the University of Southern California in the fall, studying at College of Letters, Arts and Science’s Fine Arts Department under Francis de Erdely and Edgar Ewing Meets future wife Olive Lorraine Weber (1924-2011), who prefers Lorraine, while both are attending USC. She is a Literature major 1950 Marries Lorraine Weber in Inglewood, California and resides in Manhattan Beach. They have five children, Anna Alexis, Jeanne Marie, Julie Lorraine, James Laurens, and Jean Rene. 1952 Graduates with Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, University of Southern California, College of Letters, Arts and Science, Fine Arts Department His Crystal Lamp receives purchase award ($1500) at Annual Exhibition “Art Schools U.S.A.” Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, Massachusetts in November 1953 Is invited to attend Rico Le Brun’s Art Workshop at Yale University; sits in on classes of Josef Albers 1953-1954 Lorraine receives a teaching assignment from the U.S. Air Force in France; he travels with her and studies throughout Europe 1954 He and Lorraine return to U.S. in August Completes a Master of Fine Arts, University of Southern California, College of Letters, Arts and Science, Fine Arts Department. 1956 The family live in Tujunga, California 1956-1957 Serves as lecturer for classes in the fundamentals of drawing and painting at the University of Southern California, College of Letters, Arts and Science, Fine Arts Department in the Fall semester. 1957-1962 Teaches at USC. Courses include Drawing from Life I, II, III, Design I and Painting Workshop. 1960 Family lives in Altadena Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, N.Y., purchases “Hudson River Series” painting for its permanent collection. 1962 Is a guest instructor during the summer at Pennsylvania State University, University Park. 1963 Takes a sabbatical leave and travels to Spain; teaches at the Chrystal Palace, University of Madrid (two terms) in connection with the International Art Exposition. 1964 Is a guest instructor during the summer at Pennsylvania State University. 1965 Teaches at Occidental College Teaches painting fundamentals at Chouinard Art School/California Institute of Art as a visiting instructor for 16 weeks, beginning November 29. 1966-1968 Teaches at Chouinard Art School/CalArts, Occidental College, and University of Southern California. 1967 Untitled painting is used to illustrate Anthony Boucher’s article, “Criminal At Large,” New York Times, January 15, 1967. 1969-1970 Family moves to Santa Barbara, California Is Artist in Residence at the University of California, Santa Barbara Serves as Chairman of Seminar Committee and is a member of Screening Committee at the University of California, Santa Barbara 1972 Family lives in Santa Barbara Teaches at Brooks Institute School of Fine Arts, Santa Barbara 1973 Teaches and serves as Department Chair of the Fine and Performing Arts, and Communication Departments at Oxnard College 2004 Retires from Oxnard College th 2011 Lorraine passes away on December 9 2015 Passes away on June 19 in Santa Barbara SOLO EXHIBITIONS 1950 Solo exhibition (graduate student). Fisher Gallery, University of Southern California, December 3 - 7. 1952 James Jarvaise: Watercolors, Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, April 20 - May 3. 1955 James Jarvaise, Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, May 22 - June 11. James Jarvais, Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, September 18 - October 1. 1957 Collages by James Jarvaise, Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, January 28 - February 16 1958 James Jarvaise: Hudson River School, Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, January 27 - February 15. 1960 James Jarvaise: Recent Paintings, Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, January 25 - February 13. 1961 James Jarvaise: Selected paintings from his Hudson River Series (1957-1960), Gallerie Thibaut, New York City, October – November. 1961-1962 Recent Paintings: James Jarvaise, Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, December 11, 1961-January 6, 1962. 1963 James Jarvaise, Gallery San Jorge, University of Madrid, Spain. 1964 Paintings from Spain: James Jarvaise, Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, February 24 - March 14. 1965 Paintings by James Jarvaise, Presented by the Department of Art, courtesy of the Felix Landau Gallery, Occidental College, Los Angeles, April 5 – 30. 1967 Leaf Paintings by James Jarvaise, Felix Landau Gallery, Los Angeles, February 6- March 4. James Jarvaise: Oil Paintings on Leaves of Metal Assembled in Combinations of Low and Reliefs – Executed During the Past Three Years, Landau-Alan Gallery, New York, May 2-27. 1974 James Jarvaise, Ruth Schaffner Gallery, Los Angeles, April 29 - May 18. 2012 James Jarvaise and the Hudson River Series, Louis Stern Fine Arts, West Hollywood, September 22- November 10. 2015 James Jarvaise: Collages Redux, Louis Stern Fine Arts, West Hollywood, March 12 – April 25. GROUP EXHIBITIONS 1948 Roots of Contemporary Art, Modern Institute of Art, Beverly Hills, November 21- 30. 1949 Fifth Annual City of Los Angeles Art Exhibition, Greek Theater, Griffith Park, October 16-30. California Centennials Exhibition of Art: An Official Event of the California Centennials Commission: Section I: “Historic California”; Section II: “Artists of California, 1949, Los Angeles County Museum, September 30 - November 13. 1950 Thirty-fifth Annual National Orange Show Exhibition of Art: Paintings and Sculpture by Southern California Artists, San Bernardino, California, March 9-19. Artists of Los Angeles and Vicinity, Los Angeles County Museum, July 1- August 31. Exhibition, Oakland Art Museum. 1951 Seventieth Annual Art and Sculpture Exhibition, San Francisco Art Association, San Francisco Art Museum, February 28-April 8 Thirty-sixth Annual National Orange Show Exhibition of Art: Paintings and Sculpture by Southern California Artists, San Bernardino, California, March 8-18 Fifty-seventh Annual Exhibition of Western Art, Denver Art Museum, May 14- July 8 Five-person exhibition (all USC graduate students), Graywood Gallery, Manhattan Beach, California, May 20-June 5. Survey of Pacific Coast Painting. Walnut Creek Festival, California. “Art Schools U.S.A.” Annual Exhibition, Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, Massachusetts, November. Survey of Pacific Coast Painting, City of Los Angeles Art Department. City Hall Tower Gallery, November 20- December 7. Thirty-first Annual Exhibition, California Water Color Society, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, December 9-30. 1952 62 “Under 34,” Los Angeles Art Association, May 18– 31. Fifty-eighth Annual Exhibition of Western Art, Denver Art Museum, June 2– 3. California State Fair and Exposition Art Exhibition, Sacramento, July – August. Exhibition of Eight Artists, Los Angeles Art Association, November. Artists of Los Angeles and Vicinity, Los Angeles County Museum, Exposition Park, June 28- August 10.