Pop Artist James Ivan Bailey Exhibit at Southern Vermont College Gallery

March 9, 2012

Southern Vermont College opened its Everett Mansion gallery with an exhibit of pop art paintings by artist James Ivan Bailey on Saturday, March 31. The Bailey exhibit, in the Burgdorff Gallery, will run until April 19. A Vermont native, Bailey currently resides in Brooklyn, N.Y., working part time for the former art director of Zoo York, a skateboard company, and founder of the Handselecta project. Handselecta is an evolving project that showcases graffiti art and artists.

Southern Vermont College Associate Professor Greg Winterhalter, who displayed the Bailey work in the Gallery, described the art: “Bailey’s art combines antique photo images adapted and enhanced by whimsical graphic elements. In addition, the show has graphic, new-wave, text images that utilize punk references. A few of the artist’s ink drawings complement the exhibit.” Mostly self-taught, Bailey said this new work was a response to the environment of New York and a “hyper-exaggerated form of a larger, American culture....” “In short, it is a response to my own disillusionment,” of today’s world, Bailey added. “It is my beam of hope, my dream of a brighter day.”

A graduate of Mount Anthony Union High School, Bailey attended Parsons, the New School for Design in New York City. He currently works full-time at Utrecht Art Supplies. For more information on the exhibit, contact Winterhalter at 802-447-6316 or e-mail gwinter@svc.edu.