Co|So Exhibitions :: Jim Connelly at Boston Private Bank

To celebrate the arrival of baseball season, the Copley Society of Art presents a series of Fenway Park paintings by Jim Connelly on display at the Boston Private Bank in the Prudential Center.  Accepted into Co|So last year, Jim Connelly is fresh painter whose works displayed at Co|So have been popular and well received by both patrons and collectors.  Connelly's background in commercial art and illustration lends a stylistic perspective to his works, which present Boston viewers with novel takes on familiar Fenway landmarks, such as like the CITGO sign and Yawkey Way.  

Jim Connelly, CITGO Sign, 20 x 24, oil on canvas

These painterly snapshots are derived from the artist’s technique of cropping sections of complete compositions just enough to develop an energetic composition without pushing the subject matter into complete abstraction.  As seen in CITGO Sign, Connelly’s work captures a view of Boston’s beloved “north star” that a passerby wouldn’t normally see but for more than a split second.  Connelly, on the other hand, is inspired by these typically unnoticed and fleeting moments in the city, and skillfully transforms his unexpected observations into eye-catching paintings.  He has been known to climb up to great heights or sit level with the ground to explore new perspectives whose viewpoints provide fresh appreciation for ordinary surroundings.  Connelly aptly shares these insightful observations through his paintings.  

Jim Connelly, Foul Pole Fenway, 24 x 36, oil on canvas

In the painting Foul Pole Fenway, a grid of yellow poles occupies the foreground of a day-lit scene of Fenway Park. The composition of this painting reveals the highly-geometric underlying structure of the park. Additionally, Connelly uses keen attention to light and shadow to reveal variegated dimensions to the greens, blues, and reds that saturate Fenway Park. Commenting on both his passion for light and the Red Sox, Connelly says, “Living close to this historic park and being a loyal Red Sox fan provides me with ample opportunity to see the ever-changing way the light transforms the building, not to mention the many angles of the structure.”

Jim Connelly, Yawkey Way Fenway, 24 x 36, oil on canvas

 The final painting included in Connelly’s series at the Boston Private Bank is Yawkey Way Fenway. Connelly reverently presents a lamppost displaying the street signs of Van Ness & Yawkey Way before a triumphant deep blue banner, curled and rippled by the summer air. The visceral feel of summer in the city brought to life by this work will resonate with devoted fans and native Bostonians alike. 

Jim Connelly’s innovative depictions of Kenmore and the ballpark will be on view at the Boston Private Bank located at the Prudential Center at 800 Boylston Street thru July 17, 2012. 

Click HERE to view the online exhibition!