James Benjamin Franklin

James Benjamin Franklin’s paintings are undeniably seductive. Covered with a pristine coat of resin, their enamel-like surfaces gleam like freshly painted sports cars. Their vivid, candy-colored palette is equally crisp; its highly saturated colors have a cosmetic clarity, as appealing as freshly painted toenails. As objects, the paintings elicit a palpable desire, but within these jewel-like tableaus a different narrative unfolds in which seduction is stifled. More than detached portrayals of banal situations, his work is an intimate look at psychological self-explorations. Through unclear circumstances and pictorial riddles, the viewer is invited to discern his own interpretation. James Benjamin Franklin illuminates these moments with a care that makes them difficult to forget.

Born in Tacoma, WA, Franklin decided to pursue painting as a career after visiting New York City on a high school trip. Currently living in Brooklyn, his influences include Woody Allen, Richard Diebenkorn, Bonnard, and Steve Martin.