Beachfront Exhibition Layout and Photos, 2004, by James Hough

For my MFA thesis show at UNLV, I created a lifestyle brand called Beachfront. It was all about optimism and toothpaste packaging design. There were 5 sub-brands: Beachfront Fire, Bold, Classic, Sensitive, and Gold. I created this plan for the gallery layout of the exhibition. I am including a photo of the installation of these wall pieces and of the Judd-inspired upper gallery.

Beachfront wall installation, 2004, by Jim Public, aka James Hough Beachfront floor installation, 2004, by Jim Public, aka James Hough James Hough, Beachfront exhibition plan, 2004

From a Selection of Paintings, 2006, by James Hough

Koby Teith was a brand I created during the time that my friends and I were writing country songs as Ripper Jordan. We liked Toby Keith’s bravado and intelligence as a songwriter, so I paid homage to him by creating a logo that I think looks like it would be dandy on a steak sauce bottle.

As for the artwork, the logo served as an armature around which to pile up mounds of oil paint. Methinks the tedium of masking and airbrushing was getting to me!

James Hough, Koby Teith, Brown BW, 2006 James Hough, Koby Teith, Green Colors, 2006 James Hough, Koby Teith, Brown Red, 2006 James Hough, Koby Teith, Green Burst, 2006 James Hough, Koby Teith, Brown Sloppy, 2006 James Hough, Koby Teith, Dark Red, 2006 James Hough, Koby Teith logo, 2005

From a Selection of Paintings, 2007, by James Hough

It is crazy to look back on complete bodies of work that you made years back. I hadn’t thought about these paintings from 2007 for a while, then I stumbled upon them recently, deep in my hard drive. I made this group of paintings while I lived in Las Vegas. They embody the romance of the Old West that still characterizes that place.

James Hough, Koby Teith Star, 2006 James Hough, Ever Profaning, 2007 James Hough, Paint Aphorism, 2007 James Hough, Status Quo, 2007 James Hough, The Dots of Their Eyes, 2007 James Hough, When You Open Your Eyes, 2007 James Hough, The West Was Won, 2007 James Hough, The Oiler, 2007