Don Jim Art Archival Print of Mr. Muscle Beach Competition, 21st Century
Item Details
Don Jim (Chinese-American, 1922 – 2006)
Untitled (Mr. Muscle Beach competition), 21st century
Art archival print on heavyweight paper
Unsigned
Numbered 3/100
Artist’s estate stamp to verso signed and numbered by estate owner
An limited edition archival print of a 1950s Mr. Muscle Beach Competition by photographer Don Jim. The original silver-gelatins that were taken by Jim from the 1950s are no longer available but have been reprinted as archival prints by Don Jim’s estate. The Muscle Beach competitions held in Santa Monica, California became known as the birthplace of the modern physical fitness trend. Beginning in the 1930s, this stretch of the beach attracted body builders, gymnasts, and acrobats as it was a spacious place to develop fitness and physical skills. The athletes eventually attracted crowds who came to watch the competitons, workouts, adagio, gymnastic performances, and celebrities. The Muscle Beach eventually closed down for various reasons, but since then has been revitalized with new fitness equipment for the public to enjoy. In the 1950s, Jim spent time as a young photographer in California amusement parks and beaches, documenting public spectacles such as this, and developed a distinctive series of gymnastics, competitions, and crowds in Santa Monica, which reflect his ongoing interest in the human form. To view more photos from this series, please see the link to Don Jim’s website below.
Chinese-American photographer Don Jim shares a proclivity for visualizing figural and symbolic imagery in abstract form and everyday objects. Born in Hawaii, he spent two years in the WWII army, then moved to Los Angeles to study photography at the Art Center College of Design. As a young commercial photographer, he created album covers for a number of musicians in the 1960s, including Jimmy Cliff, the Byrds, and Deep Purple, among others. He also produced a majority of the 3-D View Master photographs for California tourist attractions, such as Hearst Castle and Disneyland. During Jim’s career, he became recognized for his perfectionism in lighting and his ability to photograph reflective and shiny surfaces, such as glass, chrome, stainless steel, foil, and neon. This skill was transferred to the streets when he began his personal photographic projects in his 50s. It was at this time that he began a multitude of series that demonstrate his ability to transform everyday objects into abstract and symbolic beauty. Some of his subjects include the nude female form, objects embedded in asphalt streets, tar dripping on rooftops, and paint peeling off old walls. During his lifetime, not much of Jim’s work was ever seen or publicly displayed. However, after his death in 2006, his wife Margo inherited a large majority of his personal work, which today she works to preserve and exhibit for the public. Since the late artist’s passing, his work has been exhibited by Art Basel Miami, the Barry Singer Gallery, the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), Dkrm. Gallery, Luminous-Lint, and Classic Photographs Los Angeles.
Condition
- minor wear to sheet.
Dimensions
- measures sheet; image measures 13.5" W x 9.5" H.
Item #
ITMGA46125
Additional Information
