December, 1999                                                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Some Los Angeles Icons
January 15 - February 26, 2000

Reception for the Artist: Saturday, January 15, 6:00-8:00 pm
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00-5:30 pm, Saturday, 11:00-5:30pm

An exhibit of paintings by JAMES DOOLIN will initiate the new millennium at the KOPLIN GALLERY from January 15 to February 26, 2000.

Bridging parallel interests in the primal forms of the uninhabited Mojave Desert and the artificial theatricality of contemporary urban Los Angeles, these recent paintings represent the bare bones of our city - its massive skeleton and endless arteries of concrete in the forms of freeways, bridges, rivers and streets.

For over thirty years Doolin has been making hauntingly beautiful images of Los Angeles that rank among the city's most compelling iconography. Doolin's new work shows an increased complexity. He examines the city with passionate detachment to reveal multiple layers of reality. Always present are the forces of nature that shape and illuminate this city. Whether he positions himself in the middle of a busy street or hovering in the air, Doolin maintains a visceral connection with his subject.

In his large scale studio paintings, through masterful use of color and tone, and dramatic compositional structure, Doolin thrusts his viewers into a grand illusionistic space bathed in a tangible light and atmosphere. These monumental works are informed by small plein air oil studies and countless drawings that nourish the authenticity of Doolin's vision.

James Doolin has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, three NEA Grants and a Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Grant. In addition to numerous public works, he was awarded the lead artist position for the MTA Headquarters Building in 1994, resulting in the collaborative design of the lobby and the paintings of four historical murals that represent the growth of Los Angeles since the beginning of the mechanical age. Included in this exhibit are the maquettes and studies for these works.

Doolin's paintings can be seen in many university and museum collections, including Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT; The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT; Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA; and The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. Reproductions of Doolin's work appear in numerous publications on American, Australian, and International Art, including: Australian Art (Bernard Smith, 1971); the cover and within American Art Now (Edward Lucie-Smith, 1985); Painting in California (Arnold Skolnick and Ilene Fort, 1983); Art Today (Edward Lucie-Smith, 1995); and The Artist and the American Landscape (John Driscoll and Arnold Skolnick, 1998).

A full color catalogue with an essay by Suvan Geer will accompany the exhibition.