James Fuentes

About the Presentation
James Fuentes’s debut presentation of works by Ed Baynard (1940-2016) will take place at Independent 20th Century. Raised in Washington DC, Baynard lived in Paris and London during the 1960s, when he worked as a graphic designer for The Beatles and a costume designer for Jimi Hendrix. Settling in New York in 1971, he had his first solo exhibition at the Willard Gallery on the recommendation of Agnes Martin, and went on to a prolific five-decade career. Baynard’s signature floral still-life paintings and prints, informed by both the fine and decorative arts, recall the Japanese tradition of Ukiyo-e in their restrained elegance. His stylized compositions of flowers, plants, and vessels place bursts of color and trompe l’oeil details against flat monochrome backgrounds, infusing romantic subject matter with minimalist form.

About the Gallery
Since 2007, James Fuentes has championed a gallery program that is led first by exceptional contemporary artists who are atypical from the conventions of their field. The gallery has become known for its focus on humanity, history, and society with a non-exclusionary approach, positioning itself as a leader in the field as our contemporary institutions seek to do the same. In the spring of 2023 the gallery opened an outpost in the Melrose Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles.