2025 New Works

James Nowak’s 2025 New Works marks a significant expansion in his artistic vocabulary, moving beyond the exuberant chromatic fields of his earlier Colors of Joy series into a more varied exploration of structure, rhythm, and contrast. Where his past works thrived on the pure energy of color and gesture, these new paintings engage in a dialogue between stability and motion, geometry and spontaneity.

At the heart of the collection are the floating color compositions, in which bold, geometric forms — rectangles of

 vivid red, blue, orange, or green — hover against crisp white grounds. These canvases establish a sense of architectural stillness, yet they resist rigidity, opening a contemplative space where color itself becomes sculptural.

Contrasting these stable structures are works that favor swinging, gestural brushstrokes that sweep across bright fields of blue or warm neutrals. Here, Nowak returns to the vocabulary of movement, layering arcs of yellow, red, and black in lively interplay. These pieces, such as Delicate Spring and Symphonies, evoke music in visual form: flowing, rhythmic, and improvisational, yet carefully composed to avoid chaos.

A notable achievement of the series is its development of themes. By juxtaposing geometric order with expressive gesture, Nowak shows not only his command of distinct modes of abstraction but also his interest in the fertile tension between them. In some canvases, these languages coexist — rectangles forming a framework across which sweeping strokes dance — suggesting both containment and release, discipline and freedom.

Emotionally, the works convey contemplation and serenity, while retaining a sense of playful vitality. They feel complex yet simple, deliberate yet spontaneous. The viewer is invited to oscillate between experiencing the works as structured studies in color and form, and as free-flowing meditations on movement and joy.