{{Short description|American artist (born 1951)}} {{Infobox person | name = James Torlakson | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|02|19}} | birth_place = San Francisco, California, United States | education = California College of the Arts (BA), San Francisco State University (MFA) | occupation = Visual artist, educator | known_for = Printmaking, painting | relatives = Tom Torlakson (brother) }} '''James''' "'''Jim'''" '''Daniel Torlakson''' (born February 19, 1951) is an American visual artist and educator, known for his photorealist oil paintings, watercolors and aquatint intaglio prints. He is based in Pacifica, California, a coastal city near San Francisco.
==Early life and family== James Daniel Torlakson was born in San Francisco, California on February 19, 1951. His brother is American politician Tom Torlakson.<ref name="askart" /> Growing up in the Westlake neighborhood of Daly City, Torlakson moved to Pacifica in 1971 where he has lived since becoming a professional artist.<ref name="mercurynews" /> He started drawing at an early age, encouraged by his parents, who entered a drawing of his in the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' "Daily Junior Art Champion" when he was six years old; he was awarded first prize. He was also inspired by artist George Post, a Californian watercolor painter, who was his grandparents' neighbor in Oakland, California.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
Torlakson studied general fine arts and received a B.F.A. degree in 1971 from the California College of the Arts,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://issuu.com/californiacollegeofthearts/docs/glance-spring-2004/29|title=Glance Spring 2004|date=2004|work=issuu|accessdate=2017-06-10|publisher=California College of the Arts|language=en}}</ref> before completing a Masters of Arts degree in 1975 at San Francisco State University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://magazine.sfsu.edu/archive/fall_09/notes|title=Follow the Creative Sparks|website=SF State Magazine|language=en|accessdate=2017-06-10|archive-date=2018-01-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130175328/http://magazine.sfsu.edu/archive/fall_09/notes|url-status=dead}}</ref>
His daughter Elizabeth died at age 21, after walking into a BART tunnel in 2004.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Hunter |first=Chris |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_JYAgAAQBAJ |title=Legendary Locals of Pacifica |date=2014-01-06 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4671-0098-4 |pages=37 |language=en |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Goodyear |first=Charlie |date=March 16, 2004 |title=California senator's niece found dead on BART tracks / Cause of death of Elizabeth Torlakson unknown |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-California-senator-s-niece-found-2780079.php |access-date=2024-04-27 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Torlakson |first=Tom |date=September 20, 2004 |title=Risk of harm should outweigh use |url=https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/risk-of-harm-should-outweigh-use-2723901.php |access-date=2024-04-27 |work=SFGate |language=en}}</ref>
==Work== He was a professor of printmaking and visual art at City College of San Francisco,<ref name=":0" /> from 1999 to 2017. Other teaching experience also includes California College of the Arts and Skyline College.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
Torlakson’s photorealism imagery have centered on “every day” America, which includes images of trucks, railways, amusement parks, waterfronts, fireworks booths, deserted drive-in theaters and coastal landscapes.<ref name="mercurynews">{{cite web |last=Bartlett |first=Jean |date=2012-08-21 |title=Artist James Torlakson's journey through the play of light; exhibit at SFMOMA Artists Gallery |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/2012/08/21/artist-james-torlaksons-journey-through-the-play-of-light-exhibit-at-sfmoma-artists-gallery/ |accessdate=2017-06-09 |website=The Mercury News |publisher=Pacifica Tribune}}</ref> His oils, watercolors, aquatint etchings and drawings have been exhibited nationally since 1971 within United States and internationally.<ref name="flysfo">{{cite web|url=https://www.flysfo.com/museum/public-art-collection?nid=3328|publisher=flysfo.com|title=Public Art Collection | flysfo.com |accessdate=2017-06-09}}</ref>
He has works housed in the collections of many American museums,<ref name="askart">{{cite web |title=James Torlakson |url=http://www.askart.com/artist/James_Daniel_Torlakson/101253/James_Daniel_Torlakson.aspx |accessdate=2017-06-09 |publisher=AskArt.com}}</ref> including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,<ref name="sfmoma">{{cite web |title=James Torlakson, William Farley |url=https://www.sfmoma.org/event/james-torlakson-william-farley/ |accessdate=2017-06-09 |website=SFMoMA}}</ref><ref name="youtube">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZeTTzM30AA|publisher=youtube.com|title=SFMOMA Artists Gallery - Work of James Torlakson and William Farley - YouTube|date=29 September 2013 |accessdate=2017-06-09}}</ref> the Oakland Museum of California,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2006.23.1 James Torlakson, Rogue Equipment Sales |url=https://collections.museumca.org/?q=collection-item/2006231 |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=Oakland Museum of California}}</ref> the Brooklyn Museum,<ref name="brooklynmuseum">{{cite web |title=Bondage, James Torlakson |url=https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/106622 |accessdate=2017-06-09 |website=Brooklyn Museum |publisher=}}</ref> Rhode Island School of Design Museum;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asleep at the Wheel |url=https://risdmuseum.org/art-design/collection/asleep-wheel-80025 |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=RISD Museum}}</ref> New York Public Library’s print collection,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Donald E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kfxLAQAAIAAJ |title=American Printmakers of the Twentieth Century: A Bibliography |date=2004 |publisher=St. Johann Press |isbn=978-1-878282-28-6 |pages=328 |language=en |via=Google Books}}</ref> the Art Institute of Chicago,<ref>{{Cite web |title=James Daniel Torlakson |url=https://www.artic.edu/artists/42425/james-daniel-torlakson |website=Art Institute of Chicago|date=1951 }}</ref> Carnegie Museum of Art, the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, Library of Congress, Denver Art Museum, and the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.{{Citation needed|date=June 2017}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Torlakson, James}} Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American male artists Category:20th-century American painters Category:20th-century American printmakers Category:21st-century American male artists Category:21st-century American painters Category:21st-century American printmakers Category:American male painters Category:Artists from San Francisco Category:California College of the Arts alumni Category:California College of the Arts faculty Category:City College of San Francisco faculty Category:Painters from California Category:People from Pacifica, California Category:San Francisco State University alumni