Jim ( James ) G Bloom Philadelphia Artist Bio

Jim Bloom was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1968. He moved to Philadelphia in the mid 1980s, where he currently lives. Bloom attended Temple University in 1988 intending to study film, but left after his introductory year. From childhood on, Bloom has been making visual art that is directly related to his own experiences, as well as his interests in film, story-telling, and the visual languages of his culture. Influences include artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, and Red Grooms, who Bloom says impacted him early on with a sense freedom and boldness of expression which he extends to his own vision and work.

Bloom’s recent large scale expressive, colorful, textured paintings have evolved from signature drawing and collage styles which the artist has developed and honed since childhood. Portraits or scenes often evoke film stills loaded with information about the subjects depicted and the artist himself, telling stories with biting wit and irony, often incorporating text. Bloom says he wants to make artistic images that function like television; to capture the eye and quickly convey a message or feeling that will leave a lasting impact on the viewer.

Jim Bloom pulls from a well of personal experience and uses his own technical innovations to show off a unique style that effectively expresses his thoughts and emotions. He fearlessly experiments, drawing on cutout images, painting on paper, or cardboard or whatever materials on hand, and creates elaborately layered collages with work ranging from abstract to figurative, and sometimes incorporating text. "It looks like DeKooning!" one observer admired. Jim Bloom was born in Allentown, PA in 1968. He began his drawing career as a child. He studied at Philadelphia's Temple University for about a year, later taking to an uninhibited lifestyle, traveling and working at various odd jobs. During this time he made small drawings. By the mid 1990's Jim had been in and out of rehabilitation programs, but was finally hospitalized after being in an auto accident. At this time he began to take up drawing and painting. Jim focuses on human interaction in his work by examining family and interpersonal relationships, gender and social issues. Jim began exhibiting his work in the Philadelphia area with Coalition of Self-Taught Artists Collective. He has had solo shows at the Outsider Folk Art Gallery and Judy's on Cherry Euro Cafe in Reading, PA, at Sweet Mabel Gallery in Narberth, PA, as well as participating in the 2nd Annual Art Fete in the Hamptons show at Galerie BelAge in Westhampton Beach, NY.

Vivant Art Collection
Most artists don't like to be labeled — it's tough and even stifling to see yourself pigeonholed. Jim Bloom, though, doesn't seem to mind. For his new show at Vivant Art Collection, "Them," the impressionistic, contemporary mixed-media artist is comfortable and is unhindered by formal training, the Philadelphia-based artist lends a new eye to old tropes and makes you smile at the same time. Bloom's view of American culture is lightheartedly cynical: His take on "desperate housewives" and other categories of our population mix humor with a good, hard examination of where we live now.