Endless Limits: The Work of James Howell, 1962–2014

Endless Limits: The Work of James Howell, 1962-2014 provides a close examination of the abstract painter James Howell, from his early figurative works made while living on Bainbridge Island, WA, to his mathematical gradient paintings created during his time in Greenwich Village, NY. Howell’s unwavering dedication to color and light is represented throughout his first-ever career retrospective, taking place on the East End of Long Island at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, NY. The artist’s connection to Long Island, including his friendship with artist Fairfield Porter and his time spent living and working in Montauk later in life, is explored throughout the volume. This fully illustrated catalog features essays by the exhibition’s curators, Kaitlin Halloran and Scout Hutchinson, as well as art historian Jason Rosenfeld. Each offers a closer look at Howell during distinct moments throughout his career. The catalog also includes an essay by Hiroshi Sugimoto—an artist Howell deeply admired—on his Seascapes series. JAMES HOWELL (1935-2014) was an American artist who dedicated over five decades of his life to working with infinite gradations of gray. From 1968, he mainly created abstract paintings and exhibited them regularly on the West Coast of the United States. In 1983, he moved into a studio located on San Juan Island, WA, where he was surrounded by the continiously shifting grays in the sky, water, and light. This environment undoubtedly influenced his artistic production. In 1992, he moved to New York, where his signature style emerged in the 1990s with his Series 10. This series explores gradations of gray, his interests in mathematics, physics, and philosophy. The artist’s work transcends mere color and speaks to the interconnectedness of all things.