Untitled #90. Circa 1960s, acrylic on canvas, 44 x 120 inches.

James Juthstrom
(1925 - 2007)

Westwood Gallery is pleased to represent the work of James Juthstrom (1925-2007), an extraordinary artist who lived and worked in New York City throughout his life. His artwork as
recently re-discovered, uncovering five decades of painting,drawing, etching and sculpting. This reclusive artist moved in the circle of New York School artists and abstract expressionists. He was passionate about expressionism, from his early concentration on color relation, similar to Milton Avery, to his later work, reminiscent of Mark Tobey. In the 1960's Juthstrom's lines and strokes were loose, until a time when he began to paint intricate patterns of small circles or hatch marks on canvas and paper. On large canvases, measuring from eight feet across, to the largest at twenty seven feet across, the artist spent countless hours painting an infinite maze of colored circles with hidden formations that
become visible under light. Juthstrom's paintings reflect his fascination with the cosmos, mathematical formulas and biology, interspersed with personal anguish in his passion for art. The artist removed himself from the commercialization of his artwork, even though he lived impoverished, his truth was in the creation of art. In addition to large scale canvas paintings, Juthstrom worked extensively on paper. The paintings and drawings on paper embody Juthstrom's progression throughout several decades, and emphasize his skill with shape and structure. His free form figures in ink portray the artist's early ability to draw and focus on simplicity and beauty, circa 1950's. Additional drawings from the 1960's and 70's are masterful works in minute detail, using a variety of techniques, suggestive of outsider artists. Juthstrom attended the Brooklyn Museum Art School in the early 50's and studied under Bill Kienbusch, Rueben Tam and Charles Seide. In 1955 he was invited to participate in an exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Early on in his career Juthstrom was recognized by critics and museums and although he continued to have a few solo exhibitions and group exhibitions, he slipped into seclusion due to his fear of success. He lived the life of a dedicated artist, working and living in a loft space for sixty years in SoHo. Each event in his life represented a source of inspiration (when he was hit by a New York taxi, it resulted in a disability, and caused a constant desire to recreate the stars he saw when the collision occurred). Juthstrom worked intensively throughout his lifetime in his own personal quest to find expression on paper, canvas, print, stone and metal. During his lifetime, James Juthstrom’s paintings were included in exhibitions at the following museums and juried exhibition spaces: Bronx Museum of Art (1977), Pennsylvania Academy of Arts (1955, 1973), Riverside Museum (1963), SUNY Potsdam, NY (juried exhibition,1961), Brooklyn Museum (1960). Brooklyn Museum Art School Alumni Exhibition (1955,1958, 1957), Detroit Institute of Arts, Whitney Museum of American Arts (1956), Boston Arts Festival (1958, 1960). Since the release of his estate collection in fall of 2008, museums and collectors are reviewing the legacy left behind by this brilliant artist. Westwood Gallery, NYC exclusively represents the artwork from the estate of James Juthstrom.

Untitled #702, circa 1980s. acrylic on canvas, 70 x 66.5 inches

About the Artist

James Juthstrom (1925-2007), an extraordinary artist who lived and worked in New York City throughout his life. His artwork was recently re-discovered, uncovering five decades of painting, drawing, etching and sculpting. This reclusive artist moved in the circle of New York School artists and abstract expressionists. He was passionate about expressionism, from his early concentration on color relation, similar to Milton Avery, to his later work, reminiscent of Mark Tobey. In the 1960's Juthstrom's lines and strokes were loose, until a time when he began to paint intricate patterns of small circles or hatch marks on canvas and paper. On large canvases, measuring from eight feet across, to the largest at twenty seven feet across, the artist spent countless hours painting an infinite maze of colored circles with hidden formations that become visible under light. Juthstrom's paintings reflect his fascination with the cosmos, mathematical formulas and biology, interspersed with personal anguish in his passion for art. The artist removed himself from the commercialization of his artwork, even though he lived impoverished, his truth was in the creation of art. In addition to large scale canvas paintings, Juthstrom worked extensively on paper. The paintings and drawings on paper embody Juthstrom's progression throughout several decades, and emphasize his skill with shape and structure. His free form figures in ink portray the artist's early ability to draw and focus on simplicity and beauty, circa 1950's. Additional drawings from the 1960's and 70's are masterful works in minute detail, using a variety of techniques, suggestive of outsider artists.

Spinning Worlds, 1992, acrylic on canvas, 50.5 x 54.25 inches.