James Prosek: Ocean Fishes, Birds and Curiosities
James Prosek (born 1975) is an American artist, writer and naturalist who has dedicated himself to studying—and celebrating—the natural world through artistic, cinematic and literary pursuits. Born in Stamford, Connecticut, he is a graduate of Yale University and published his first book, Trout: An Illustrated History while still a student. A year later, in 1997, he wrote his second book, Joe and Me: An Education in Fishing and Friendship. His second trout book, published in 2005, titled Trout of the World, featured a collection of one hundred watercolors of native trout from Europe, Asia and North Africa. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions in New York City and Connecticut, and his first solo museum exhibition, "Life & Death - A Visual Taxonomy", was held at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT in 2008. His most recent venture, titled "James Prosek: Un-Natural History," was hosted at Fairfield University's Bellarmine Museum of Art. The artist exhibited watercolors and several taxidermy specimens chosen to complement the work.
Prosek notes that "a deep and profound love of nature" informs all his work. Bellarmine Museum Director Dr. Jill Deupi notes that Prosek's work proposes new and unusual ways for considering the world around us. She adds that his renderings of specimens, both real and imagined, invites the viewer to reflect on the ways many humans have chosen to organize the natural world and to question what these systems say about our culture, our priorities, and our values.
February 19 - March 2, 2013
National Arts Club, New York, NY
Opening Reception: Tuesday February 26, 6:00 PM
