 |
Every rodeo begins with a grand entry as the contestants and other riders follow the flag bearers in a serpentine course across the arena. At a junior rodeo in Cody, artist James Bama spotted Kenny Claybaugh waiting for the grand entry and was struck by the colorful combination of the yellow slicker, American flag and the dark glasses. Regarded as one of the sport’s top pickup men, Claybaugh worked the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada, among many others.
It is the pickup man’s duty to rescue a rider from a pitching bronc after the required seconds have elapsed and the horn is blown to signal a completed ride. It is a highly responsible task demanding skill and nerve, as a misstep can result in a rider’s falling and perhaps being trampled or slammed against an ungiving fence.The pickup horse must also be well trained so that it does not fear moving in close to the bronc’s flying hoofs and does not shy away as pickup man and bronc rider reach for one another.
|
|
|
James Bama was born in 1926 and grew up in the Northeast. He followed his
early interest in art through New York’s specialized High School of Music and
Art and the Art Students League. As a professional, Bama has earned a
reputation for several facets of his talent. He freelanced briefly before
spending fifteen years at the respected Charles E. Cooper Studios—at the time,
the country’s top firm of illustrators—and more freelancing followed. Bama’s
activities during this period were highlighted by artwork for the New York
Giants football team, the Baseball and Football Halls of Fame, the U.S. Air
Force and The Saturday Evening Post. Fans of pop culture may know him best as
the artist who portrayed Doc Savage on sixty-two memorable book covers. Then
Bama decided it was finally time to do what he most wanted to do. He moved
west to Wyoming, where an artist “can trace the beginnings of Western history;
see the oldest weapons, saddles and guns and be close to Indian culture.” He
sold his first Western fine art painting soon after the move.
The distinctive work of James Bama combines tradition with modern realities.
In his much-acclaimed studies, Bama shows the contemporary West preserving its
traditional culture. His portraits of inhabitants of the plains and mountains
capture the true character of the West.
Today the paintings of James Bama are part of many prestigious collections.
Bama has been represented in major exhibitions throughout the West and has
been presented in one-man shows in New York City. Bantam Books published The
Western Art of James Bama in 1975 and The Art of James Bama in 1993. Jim was
inducted into the Illustrator’s Hall of Fame June 28, 2000. Through his
portraits of real people of the new West re-creating their history and
heritage, Bama pays homage to the Old West and is renowned in yet another
realm of the art world.
|
|
