Art Explorer: James Angel

Two years ago I was at a silent auction and celebratory dinner for the Arizona-based organization Child's Play. The auction was full of good stuff like trips, gift certificates, and leather chairs that my friend Charlie over at kinemapoetics purchased. I wasn't planning on going for anything given that I was a poor grad student, but then I spotted James Angel's painting "Fernwood Tonight" and I realized I had to have it. The colors are amazing, the subjects whimsical looking as though they were taken out of a 1940s picture book. I placed my bid and hovered around the painting for most of the night until they announced the close of the auction. A few hours later I was driving home with the painting taking up the entirety of my back seat. As you can see from the picture above, the painting is quite large and hangs happily in my apartment above my couch.

James Angel is a local Phoenix artist who works primarily with iconic images from popular culture, juxtaposing the old with the new. His work uses color to call attention to certain portions of his work. For example in "Fernwood Tonight" the red bird stands out strongly in a painting constructed mostly of muted tones. Also behind the tree is a shot of light blue that is equally out of place. Since I showed my love for Philip Curtis before by constructing an outfit from one of his paintings, I thought I should do the same for Angel. With Curtis I used not only the colors but the women in the painting to guide the outfit, for Angel I primarily used the colors and the suggestion of a 1970s era. The title of the piece I used is "Nature Preserve."

Outfit consists of:

Brown boots from Forever 21. Currently sold out.

Brown zip front cotton hoodie. Available at Wet Seal for $7.99.

1970s tan wool A-line skirt by Young Pendelton. Measurements: 24" waist, 40" hips. Available
at Vintage Trends for $46.

Feather earrings from Miss Selfridge. Currently sold out.

Orange leather clutch. Available at piperlime for $69.99.

Wood bead necklace by Nathalie Costes. Available at La Garconne for $206.50.

Yellow 3/4 sleeve 100% cotton shirt. Available at Dorothy Perkins for 7 GBP.