James Havard: Talking in Color

PAFA alumnus [Cert '65] James Havard (b. 1937) has been making paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures for over five decades. Over the course of his career Havard has moved through various pictorial languages; ranging from realism, trompe l’oel “abstract illusionism," and mixed media collage to his current figurative work. His exuberant, expressive, process-driven paintings are spirited and deceptively simple.

In Talking in Color, a selection of Havard's current figurative works celebrate his recent return to Philadelphia after several decades spent living in New Mexico. While Havard often uses traditional, earth tones, he includes - in his words "fun colors" - such as Dianthus pink. His choices are intuitively-driven and direct, delivering playful and mysterious open-ended narratives.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website