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James Zamora: Surprise


Ro2 Art in The Cedars

Ro2 Art is proud to present Surprise, a solo exhibition featuring new works by artist James Zamora. The show will run from February 6th through March 6th, 2021. The exhibition will open with an artist reception at Ro2 Art The Cedars located at 1501 S Ervay St, Dallas, TX and will take place from 12-5 PM.

James Zamora is known for his exacting representational works, exploring American consumer culture through his detailed depictions of common products and shop displays. Though Zamora made a career for himself inviting viewers to examine the minute difference of scenes captured through the camera lens versus those observed by the human eye, in this exhibition, Zamora departs from realism to create works of pure abstraction. This unexpected shift in his practice is inspired by the freedom of mark making observed in his children; a freedom he has given himself for the first time in his professional career.

Artist Statement

“Can my soul and technique play together?  This question has been on my mind as I watch my kids think through the creative process.  Every time a child draws, they tap into their own sublime so readily.  Their soul has not experienced a statement such as “you are not good enough?” or more passively “Maybe try this direction.” Although it is important in life to experience these “negative” situations to experience growth.  I spent the past ten years devoted to practice.  I knew I was not good enough by my own standards, and I wanted to feel worthy by devoting time to discipline and the idea of practicing.  Every person wants to feel like they have a place and find something to which they devote their lives.  Then there comes a point where the technique is no longer discovery, and the idea of play intervenes in order to let technique discover something new. 

In the new work, I am letting the inner child play.  I am using technique and tapping into the inner soul of play so that something with integrity is produced.  I am constantly revising and editing, which in turn becomes an art itself.  I created a new set of rules and a fresh passage where play can flow.  With whatever tool I am using, be it a crayon, paint marker, or brush, I am traveling across the material surface with fear of moving the mark too fast, or ending too suddenly, as if the life of the new painting is at stake. In this minimal play, every mark is important and can tilt the composition. In my realism practice, the picture changes unnoticeably from the 100th brushstroke to the 101st brushstroke.  The realism practice became very calculative and I understood the product before I even started, as if I were solving a mathematical problem like 2+2=.  Presently the work is about free play and technique coming together.  Both of them are now conversing and expressing themselves, and myself, together.  When Practice and Play are the same thing, the work is unexpected. Can I reconnect my soul with technique? Can they play together?.”

About The Artist

Zamora earned his BFA in painting and drawing from The University of North Texas in 2010, then an MFA in painting from Texas Woman's University in 2015. His work is exhibited nationally on a regular basis and is in numerous personal and public collections. Zamora's work has appeared in several publications including New American Paintings West #114 and New American Paintings West #126.  Zamora grew up in the small city of Graham, Texas.  His parents immigrated to the US from Mexico in the 70s.  Zamora now works and resides in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  He is Assistant Professor of Art at Northwestern State University and his studio is located on campus adjacent to his students’ studio space.

About Ro2 Art
Ro2 Art is a contemporary fine art gallery with spaces in The Cedars Neighborhood and Downtown Dallas, representing a diverse group of emerging, mid-career, and established contemporary artists – many with ties to the North Texas Region. The gallery, founded in 2010 by mother-and-son partners Susan Roth Romans and Jordan Roth, regularly collaborates with organizations such as The MAC and Cedars Union and maintains an exhibition program within the Magnolia Theatre at West Village and other satellite venues. Ro2 Art has been named Dallas Observer's Best Art Gallery and was presented with the 25th Annual Obelisk Award for small business by the North Texas Business Council for the Arts. The gallery’s art fair program has included the Dallas Art Fair, Texas Contemporary, and Art Aspen. More info: http://www.ro2art.com

All works will be on view from February 6, 2020 – March 6, 2021. Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, February 6, 12-5 PM at Ro2 Art, located at 1501 S Ervay St, Dallas TX 75215. For more information, visit www.Ro2art.com

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1501 S. Ervay · Dallas, TX 75215


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