James Torlakson, an internationally acclaimed American Realist, depicts majesty in the mundane. Torlakson’s everyday “Americana” scenes include suburban landscapes, traveling carnivals, standing fireworks booths, abandoned drive-in theaters, and autobiographical still life scenes from his Bay Area neighborhood memories and travels. Torlakson is a contemporary artist, proficiently working in oil, watercolor, and aquatint intaglio etching, employing European master techniques to create compelling works that pull the viewer in, such as the solo light from his neighborhood street at dusk.
MUSEUM COLLECTIONS:
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; San Francisco, CA
Oakland Museum of California; Oakland, CA
Achenbach Foundation for the Graphic Arts, California Palace of the Legion of Honor; San Francisco, CA
Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn, NY
Albright Knox Art Gallery; Buffalo, NY
Museum of Art, Carnegie Institute; Pittsburgh, PA
Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design; Providence, RI
New York Public Library, Print Collection; New York, NY
Chicago Art Institute; Chicago, IL
Library of Congress; Washington, D.C.
Delaware Art Museum; Wilmington, DE
Denver Art Museum; Denver, CO
Santa Barbara Museum of Art; Santa Barbara, CA
Detroit Art Institute; Detroit, MI
Stanford University Museum of Art; Stanford, CA
University Art Museum, Rutgers University; New Jersey, NJ
De Cordova Museum; Lincoln, MA
Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, New Brunswick, NJ
Boise Art Museum; Boise, ID
University Art Museum; U.C. Berkeley; Berkeley, CA
Arkansas Art Center; Little Rock, Arkansas
Hearst Art Gallery; Saint Mary’s College; Moraga, CA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017 CITY ARTS GALLERY, City College of San Francisco, CA
2013 OCEANA ART GALERY, Pacifica, CA
2012 SFMOMA ARTIST GALLERY, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA
2011 OLIVER HYDE ARTGALLERY, Freemont, CA
2004 DISTRICT ARTS GALLERY, Birmingham, MI
2001 33 GOUGH STREET SHOWCASE, San Francisco, CA
2000 POWELL STREET GALLERY, San Francisco, Ca
1999 CITY ARTS GALLERY, City College of San Francisco, CA
1999 SANCHEZ ART CENTER; Pacifica, CA
1997 FOG CITY JAVA; Pacifica, CA (funded by grant from Philanthropic Ventures Foundation)
1997 SAN MATEO COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM, San Mateo, CA
1996 ERIKSEN GALLERY, Half Moon Bay, CA
1994 ART FORMS UNLIMITED; Pacifica, CA
1993 HORVATH GALLERY; Sacramento, CA
1992 CUDAHY’S GALLERY; New York, NY
1991 JOHN BERGGRUEN GALLERY; San Francisco, CA
1988 JOHN BERGGRUEN GALLERY; San Francisco, C
1987 CONCEPT ART GALLERY; Pittsburgh, PA
1986 JOHN BERGGRUEN GALLERY; San Francisco, CA
1984 DUBINS GALLERY; Los Angeles, CA
1983 GRAPHICS 1 and GRAPHICS 2; Boston, MA
1983 JOHN BERGGRUEN GALLERY; San Francisco, CA
1982 MUSEUM OF ART, CARNEGIE INSTITUTE; Pittsburgh, PA
1981 GELTER / PALL; New York, NY
1980 GRAPHICS 1 and GRAPHICS 2; Boston, MA
1980 JOHN BERGGRUEN GALLERY; San Francisco, CA
1980 RICHMOND ART CENTER; Richmond, CA
1979 SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART; San Jose, CA
1978 VAN STRAATEN GALLERY; Chicago, IL
1978 JOHN BERGGRUEN GALLERY; San Francisco, CA
1977 GALERIE JURKA; Amsterdam, NL
1976 ACHENBACH FOUNDATION FOR THE GRAPHIC ARTS, CALIFORNIA PALACE
OF THE LEGION OF HONOR; San Francisco, CA
1975 CONTEMPORARY GRAPHICS CENTER, SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART; CA
1975 NANCY HOFFMAN GALLERY; New York, NY
1974 JOHN BERGGRUEN GALLERY; San Francisco, CA
1973 GUMP’S GALLERY; San Francisco, CA
1972 REISINGER GALLERIES; San Francisco, CA
1972 ALMOND ROD GALLERY; San Francisco, CA
EXHIBITION RECORDS 2011
Open Road (3 person exhibition) Oliver Hyde Art Gallery, Fremont, CA
Annual Faculty Shows 2010; City Arts Gallery, C.C.S.F.; San Francisco, CA
2010
CCA Alumni Exhibition; Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica CA
Annual Faculty Shows 2010; City Arts Gallery, C.C.S.F.; San Francisco, CA
Ralph Borge A Symbolic Realist and His Circle, Hearst Art Gallery, S.M.C., Moraga, CA
American Art and Culture: Past and Present, De Young Museum, San Francisco, California
2000-2009
Annual Faculty Shows 2000-2009; City Arts Gallery, C.C.S.F.; San Francisco, CA
Comix/Cartoons Show; Rosenberg Library, C.C.S.F.; San Francisco, CA
Creative Roots; Rosenberg Library, C.C.S.F.; San Francisco, CA
1999
Watercolor: City Arts Gallery; City College of San Francisco; San Francisco, California
Spirit of the Coast; Impact Zone Productions; Cotanoa Lodge; Pescadero, California
Millennium: City Arts Gallery; City College of San Francisco; San Francisco, California
1998
10: San Francisco State University Art Alumni; Sanchez Art Center Gallery; Pacifica, California
1996
Art From The Driver’s Seat: Americans and Their Cars: Kalamazoo Institute of Arts; Kalamazoo,
Michigan
Art From The Driver’s Seat: Americans and Their Cars: Hudson River Museum; Yonkers, New York
Seventh Annual - All Creatures Great and Small: John Natsoulas Gallery; Davis, California
Surf’s Up: Bolinas Museum; Bolinas, California
1995
Art From The Driver’s Seat: Americans and Their Cars: Boise Art Museum; Boise, Idaho
Art From The Driver’s Seat: Americans and Their Cars: Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois State
University: Charleston, Illinois
Faculty Exhibition: Skyline College; San Bruno, California
Henrik Ibsen Park (private three person exhibition): Kings Mountain; Woodside, California
1994
Group Exhibition: Magidson Gallery; New York NY
Group Exhibition: Art Forms Unlimited; Pacifica CA
1993
American Paintings: Museum of Our National Heritage; Lexington MA
1992
New Horizons in American Realism: Knoxville Museum of Art; Knoxville TN
Local Landscape: PacTel Corporation; Walnut Creek CA
Oakland: Oakland Museum Collector’s Gallery; Oakland CA
Artists of Skyline College: Peninsula Art Association; Belmont CA
Summer Show: Cudahy’s Fine Art Gallery; New York NY
1991
New Horizons in American Realism: Flint Institute of Arts; Flint , Michigan and Philharmonic
Center for the Arts; Naples, Florida
Selections from the Permanent Collection: Achenbach Foundation for the Graphic Arts, California
Palace of the Legion of Honor; San Francisco CA
Large Scale Works on Paper: John Berggruen Gallery; San Francisco CA
Summer Show: Cudahy’s Fine Art Gallery; New York NY
1990
Group Show: Cudahy’s Fine Art Gallery; New York NY
Contemporary Realist Painting: Perception and Experience: Oliver Art Center, California College of Arts and Crafts; Oakland CA
Concord Collectors: Walnut Creek Art Center; Walnut Creek CA
College of San Mateo Faculty Art Exhibition: San Mateo County Arts Council; San Mateo CA
1989
Collector’s Choice - Contemporary Paintings and Drawings from the Collection of Ron and Cherie Petersen: Pence Gallery; Davis CA
Capitol a’la cARTe (food images): State Capitol Building (presented by Natsoulas / Novelozo Gallery); Sacramento CA
Faculty Art Exhibition: Skyline College; San Bruno CA
1988
Waterworks (three artists): Sierra Nevada Museum of Art; Reno, Nevada
Torlakson Watercolors and Prints: Natsoulas / Novelozo Gallery; Davis CA
Torlakson Prints: Wenniger Graphics; Boston MA
Billboards: Littlejohn - Smith Gallery; New York NY
1987
Realism: Art Museum of Santa Cruz County; Santa Cruz CA
Drawings By Contemporary Masters: Himovitz - Jensen Gallery; Sacramento CA
Two Realists: Concept Art Gallery; Pittsburgh PA
31st National Print Exhibition: Hunterdon Art Center; Clinton NJ
Parkside National Small Print Exhibition: Communication Arts Gallery; Kenosha WI
Mainstream America: The Collection of Phil Desind: The Butler Institute of American ART;
Youngstown OH
Prints In Motion: Associated American Artists; New York NY
1986
James Torlakson, Watercolors and Graphics: Bechtel International Center, Stanford University;
Palo Alto CA
1985
The 20th Century: The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Collection: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; San Francisco CA
American Realism: Twentieth - Century Drawings and Watercolors: San Francisco Museum of
Modern Art; San Francisco CA
1984
Recent Acquisitions: Achenbach Foundation for the Graphic Arts, California Palace of the Legion of Honor; San Francisco CA
The Twenty - Third National Print Exhibition: The Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn NY
1983
Gene Baro Collects: The Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn NY
West Coast Realism: Laguna Beach Museum of Art; Laguna Beach CA
The American Artist as Printmaker, 23rd National Print Exhibition: The Brooklyn Museum;
Brooklyn NY
Contemporary American Realism, since 1960: Chicago Art Institute; Chicago IL
1982
Contemporary American Realism, since 1960: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts; Philadelphia PA and The Oakland Museum; Oakland CA
Perspectives on Contemporary American Realism; Works of Art on Paper from the Collection of
Jalane and Richard Davidson: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; Philadelphia PA
1981
Twenty - Second National Print Exhibition: The Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn NY
100 New Acquisitions: The Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn NY
Recent Acquisitions in Prints and Drawings: Rhode Island School of Design; Providence RI
1980
Realism: Civics Arts Gallery; Walnut Creek CA
The Light Is Different In California: Pratt Manhattan Center Gallery; New York NY
American Drawings In Black and White: The Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn NY
1979
Recent Acquisitions: The Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn NY
Recent Acquisitions: Achenbach Foundation for the Graphic Arts, California Palace of the Legion of Honor; San Francisco CA
Recent Acquisitions: The Oakland Museum; Oakland CA
VX International Soa Paulo Biennial, courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum and the International Communications Agency; Washington D. C. This exhibition traveled throughout Latin America.
1978
Eight West Coast Printmakers: The Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn NY
Leading Realists and Current Abstract Art: Madison Gallery; Madison NJ
1977
Prints of the 1970’s: Museum of Fine Arts; Boston MA
1976
20th Annual Brooklyn Museum Print Exhibition: The Brooklyn Museum; Brooklyn NY
Contemporary Images in Watercolors: Akron Art Institute; Akron OH
1975
Permanent Collection: Recent Graphic Acquisitions: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art;
San Francisco CA
Photography and Hyper-Realism: M. Knoedler & Company; New York NY
Realist Painting in California: John Berggruen Gallery; San Francisco CA
California Graphics Exhibition: Three Dimensions Gallery; Berkeley CA and Printmakers Council
of Great Britain; London, England
Hyper-Realism: Liliane Francois Galerie; Paris, France
1974
Selections in Contemporary Realism: Akron Art Institute; Akron OH
Fourth British International Print Biennial: Bradford Art Galleries and Museums; Yorkshire,
England
Works on Paper: Virginia Museum of Art; VA
Variations on the Camera’s Eye: Smithsonian Institute; Washington D.C. and Occidental College; CA; Traveling Exhibition - South America
Three Printmakers Who Work From Watercolors: The Oakland Museum; Oakland CA
1973
Young Talent: John Berggruen Gallery; San Francisco CA
AWARDS and HONORS
32 Purchase Awards from competitive exhibitions of prints, drawings, and paintings—including $5,000 award for purchase of a canvas by the San Francisco International Airport
Full size Billboard shown in various Bay Area locations depicting my art work — part of a 1981 promotion for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Poster Commissions (design & illustration) 1984: 38th Annual San Francisco Arts Festival
1994: Pacific Coast Fog Festival, Pacifica CA
Television Programs (about James Torlakson and his art work)
1977: KQED, San Francisco
1986: Channel 8, Pacifica CA
1994: Channel 8, Pacifica CA
2002: PCTI, Pacifica, CA
Structures: Buildings in American Art 1900 - 1997; John Berggruen Gallery; San Francisco, California