b/w mezzotint
2012
12 x 10
edition: 20
signed in pencil
"Absence of Passion" is a suite of fifteen mezzotint portraits reflecting the trauma of warfare. The edition of the suite is just 20. Ramadi is a city in central Iraq, about 110 kilometers west of Baghdad and 50 kilometers west of Fallujah. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate. The city extends along the Euphrates and is the largest city in Al-Anbar. Tempered by the partial concealment of facial expression, the images depict a range of emotional responses to war, from rage to resignation. The wrappings can be viewed as veils that separate one human being from another, that separate gender within the Islamic world, and more broadly, that separate cultures.
The mysterious mezzotints of James Groleau, whether the earth-toned studies of death and personal introspection, or the brightly colored floral and portrait series, reflect an interest in order in the universe and man’s place within it. Groleau studied at the Massachusetts College of Art and the City College Printmaking Program in San Francisco. He exhibits both nationally and abroad and has received numerous awards. He is a member of the California Society of Printmakers and a board member of the Graphic Arts Workshop in San Francisco.
