Joseph McNamara
Joseph McNamara is an American-born painter and photographer known for his penetrating depictions of human industry’s engagement with the landscape and compositional diligence.
His paintings, which are notable for their meticulous detail and can take months or even years to complete, are characterized by their expansive scope as much as their precision and are composed of a fused sequence of visual observations.
Based in New York City since 1972, where he has also painted numerous urban representations, figures, portraits and still lifes, McNamara has in addition traveled extensively, accumulating a substantial archive of imagery to use as reference for his paintings.
Dismantled HB-3 Platforms, Kennedy Space Center, 2021-2023, oil on panel, 38x60"> Inquire PH✳︎ENIX, 2022-23, oil on panel, 34.5x43.5"> Inquire Labyrinth, 2021-2023, oil on panel, 30x28"> Inquire Surplus Wellhead Equipment, Shreveport LA, 2022-2023, oil on panel, 30.5x42.5"> Inquire Valley of the Collapsed Trellises, 2024, oil on panel, 16x5x20.5"> Inquire Back Bay After Dark, 2023, oil on panel, 30.5x42.5"> Inquire Pallet City, 2021-22, oil on panel, 24.5x30.5"> Inquire Locomotive Traction Motors, 2023, oil on panel, 30.5x24.5"> Inquire El Cable Inglés, Almeria, Spain, 2020-23, oil on panel, 16.5x20.5"> Inquire Stabilization Column Odessa TX, 2023-2024, oil on panel, 31x25"> Inquire Aerospace Maintenance Regeneration Group, Davis Monthan AFB, AZ, 2021-2024, oil on panel, 17.5x25.5"> Inquire Port of Houston, 2007, oil on panel, 13x24"> Inquire Abandoned Silver Mine Equipment, Butte Montana, 2021-2023, oil on panel, 20.5x24.5" Sold> Inquire Lead Acid Battery, 2021-2023, oil on panel, 16.5x24.5"> Inquire Hudson River Barge, 2019-21, oil on board, 32x38"> Inquire Chelsea Barge, 2020-21, oil on panel, 30x38"> Inquire Joy, 2016-20, oil on board, 13x12"> Inquire Manifold Manifolds, 2020, oil on board, 22x32" Sold> Inquire Sawtooth Valley, 2018-20, oil on panel, 36x45"> Inquire Citi Field Construction, 2020, oil on board, 12x24"> Inquire Hudson River Skeleton Piers, 2020, oil on panel, 24x36"> Inquire Central Park, 1997-2020, oil on board, 34x22"> Inquire Excavator Loading Shovels, Yankee Stadium Demolition, 2019-20, oil on panel, 16x20"> Inquire Strip Mall Cowboy, 2019-20, oil on panel, 24x18"> Inquire Train Yard Vestiges, 2020, oil on board, 16.5x14.5"> Inquire Object Obscura, 2020, oil on panel, 8x10" Sold> Inquire Palm Desert, 2020, oil on panel, 8x10"> Inquire Kern, CA, 2019-20, oil on board, 15x19"> Inquire D 24, 2019, oil on board, 22x32"> Inquire Bonnie Ship the Blackhawk, 1999-2019, oil on board, 33x38"> Inquire The Cancelling Machine, 2018-19, oil on panel, 30x36" Sold> Inquire ARKANSAS BAYOU, 2017-18, oil on panel, 25x30"> Inquire THE MAGPIE ON THE GALLOWS FRAME, 2014-18, oil on panel, 48x36" Sold> Inquire HOOKED, 2017, oil on panel, 10.5x8.5"> Inquire WIRE MESH SCREEN, MONTANA, 2017, oil on panel, 14.5x11.5" Sold> Inquire GAS SEPARATOR, MIDWAY-SUNSET OIL FIELD, 2016, oil on panel, 40.5x48.5" Sold> Inquire NEW TAIT HOTEL (as seen from the Hotel Finlen, Butte, MT), 2015, oil on panel, 19.5x24.5"> Inquire CONIGLIO NOSTRANO, 2015, oil on panel, 7.5x12.75"> Inquire EAST SIDE ACCESS TUNNEL UNDER CONSTRUCTION, 2014-15, oil on panel, 30.5x40.5" Sold> Inquire CORRUGATED METAL SHACK, 2016, oil and collage on panel, 11.5x14.5" Sold> Inquire VERMONT (E.L. Smith Quarry), 2014-2016, oil on panel, 36x72" Sold> Inquire PIPE, 2016, oil on panel, 9.5x15.5"> Inquire SCREW PUMP, 2016, oil on panel, 8.5x13.5" Sold> Inquire MADRID INTERIOR, 2015-2016, oil on panel, 40.5x30.5" Sold> Inquire ROTARY SNOWPLOW, 2016, oil on panel, 27x21" Sold> Inquire FLUSHING BAY HEAT WAVE, 2016, oil on panel, 16x21" Sold> Inquire JOHN DEERE HARVESTER WORKS, EAST MOLINE IL, 2008-14, oil and alkyd on panel, 32x38.5" Sold> Inquire NEIL JENNEY, 2012-13, oil on panel, 17x13" Sold> Inquire BETHLEHEM BLAST FURNACE, 2010-2011, oil on panel, 48x37" Sold> Inquire PIER 57, 2002-07, oil and alkyd on panel, 25x48"> Inquire 8th AVENUE BUILDING FOUNDATION, 1998-2007, oil and alkyd on panel, 15x38"> Inquire TRAILER, 2003, oil on panel, 9.5x25"> Inquire RUINS AT DAPHNE REVISITED, 1993, oil and alkyd on panel, 30x30" Sold> Inquire THE BLUE REGULATOR, 1994, oil on panel, 24x30"> Inquire
Joseph McNamara
Joseph McNamara is an American-born painter and photographer known for his penetrating depictions of human industry’s engagement with the landscape and compositional diligence.
His paintings, which are notable for their meticulous detail and can take months or even years to complete, are characterized by their expansive scope as much as their precision and are composed of a fused sequence of visual observations.
Based in New York City since 1972, where he has also painted numerous urban representations, figures, portraits and still lifes, McNamara has in addition traveled extensively, accumulating a substantial archive of imagery to use as reference for his paintings.