E X H I B I T
Don Jim
Chinese-American photographer Don Jim shares a proclivity for visualizing figural and symbolic imagery in abstract form and everyday objects.
Born in Hawaii, he spent two years in the WWII army, then moved to Los Angeles to study photography at the Art Center College of Design. As a young commercial photographer, he created album covers for a number of musicians in the 1960s, including Jimmy Cliff, the Byrds, and Deep Purple, among others. He also produced a majority of the 3-D View Master photographs for California tourist attractions, such as Hearst Castle and Disneyland. During Jim’s career, he became recognized for his perfectionism in lighting and his ability to photograph reflective and shiny surfaces, such as glass, chrome, stainless steel, foil, and neon. This skill was transferred to the streets when he began his personal photographic projects in his 50s. It was at this time that he began a multitude of series that demonstrate his ability to transform everyday objects into abstract and symbolic beauty. Some of his subjects include the nude female form, objects embedded in asphalt streets, tar dripping on rooftops, and paint peeling off old walls.
Don Jim Art Archival Print of Miss Muscle Beach Competition, 21st Century
Don Jim Surrealist Cibachrome Photograph, Late 20th Century
Don Jim Silver Gelatin Photograph of Female Nude, Circa 1970
Don Jim Silver Gelatin Photograph of Female Nude in Grassy Landscape, Circa 1970
During his lifetime, not much of Jim’s work was ever seen or publicly displayed. However, after his death in 2006, his wife Margo inherited a large majority of his personal work, which today she works to preserve and exhibit for the public. Since the late artist’s passing, his work has been exhibited by Art Basel Miami, the Barry Singer Gallery, the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), Dkrm. Gallery, Luminous-Lint, and Classic Photographs Los Angeles.
Don Jim Solarized Silver Gelatin Photograph from "Lavish Lola," Circa 1985
Don Jim Silver Gelatin Photograph and Photo Negative "Sassy," Late 20th Century
Don Jim Cibachrome Photograph "Parachuting with the Full Moon," Circa 1970
