ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 27, 2018) – The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art is featuring Lance Rodgers’ painting “Riding a Volatile Market” in its inaugural showcase of works from the collection of Tom and Mary James. Lance Rodgers is a St. Petersburg based painter whose body of work ranges from the abstract to the realistic. Rodgers also served as curator of St. Petersburg’s Salt Creek Artworks gallery for 20 years where he organized exhibitions for both Florida based and national artists.
“Riding a Volatile Market” uses recognizable imagery to symbolize the wild ups and downs of the US stock market. The painting captures the spirit of the American West by portraying a swashbuckling cowboy riding a bucking bronco as the face of a gleaming Indian Head Nickel moon presides over a sky changing from day to night. Metal jacks and dollar signs populate the bottom right hand corner of the canvas, a nod to the game-like nature of playing the markets. The branches of a palm tree obscure the Eye of Providence as it gazes up at the cowboy’s struggle to tame a wild beast of commerce. This imagery not only highlights the bold Western traditions in American culture, it also comments on America’s efforts to domesticate a volatile financial beast.
Rodgers was overjoyed upon learning of his painting’s inclusion in the museum. “I am so grateful that my painting now hangs among the works of American masters like Andy Warhol, Frederic Remington and Charles Russell as well as so many other brilliant living artists,” Rodgers said. “I’ve worked with Tom James and his curators for a long time, and I’m so thankful for all the good he and his wife Mary have done for the arts community here in the Tampa Bay Area. I am honored that this artwork is a permanent part of the museum’s collection.”
The James Museum will have it grand opening celebration on April 27-28. For more information about Lance Rodger’s artwork, please visit: http://lancerodgersart.com/.