California Dreamin' (980)

After stepping away from the limelight in the early 1970s, Gill re-emerged triumphantly in the 1990s, and is now back with huge success with both private collectors and galleries. His unique take on iconic imagery has been re-discovered and its place in art history re-affirmed. Described as a pioneer in the pop art movement, Gill’s works are visionary, timeless and universal. His iconic vibrant separations of light and shadow – typic of news photographs - are inspired by magazines like Time, Life and National Geographic and have been featured in numerous galleries. Find out more about pop art or, alternatively, shop more artwork by James Francis Gill here. 

One of Pop Art’s hallmarks is its obsession with popular culture, and Gill’s Women in Cars series is firmly rooted in this. He began making the works in the 1960’s, when American magazines LIFE and TIME began printing paparazzi shots of film stars getting out of their cars. Women in Cars could offer something the magazines couldn’t – colour – and when the pieces began appearing in galleries, they were the epitome of cool modernity, and gave the public a chance to see celebrity in a new light. One of the earliest versions of the series, ‘Laughing Woman in car and Close Up’ was purchased by and exhibited in MoMa between works by Picasso and Odilon Redon. In the years 2020 to 2022, almost sixty years after his first works, at the age of over 85 years, acrylic paintings and studies are created which show the “Women In Cars” manifested in all their colourfulness and timeless presence. These acrylic originals and studies are modern embodiments of an idea that was ahead of its time, anticipating the omnipresence of social media and the struggle to protect a personal and private space of existing. These modern pieces are steeped in the history of the pop art movement and bring a fresh and exciting insight into the workings of one of the last living pioneers of the subject. See more artwork from this collection here.

In this romantic piece, Gill uses warm red tones to evoke the serenity of “California Dreamin’. The model takes centre stage with a calm expression, while the burgundy car falls into second plan. The colours compliment each other beautifully with stand out details such as the model’s blonde hair, the almost out of focus background with touches of green and the blue toned glass. California Dreamin' is the perfect example of a strong bold angular study utilising primary colours. The details and minimalism of this piece bring an iconic and almost magic feel to it.