Born in 1952 in Utah, James Stagg studied and the San Francisco Art Institute, the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and the Art Students League in New York, refining a style that would eventually revolutionize modern cityscape art. Stagg entered the San Francisco art scene in 1988 when he painted a portfolio of city scenes for San Francisco Focus Magazine; he was so well-received there that for a several years, they printed an original painting of his almost every month alongside their lead restaurant review. In the early 1990s, Stagg was commissioned to paint pieces for the renowned One Market Restaurant and after that he soared into state- and nation-wide attention. He created commissioned paintings for Stanford University, Hyatt Regency Hotels, and MUMM Champagne Winery, in addition to exhibiting his work in the United States and in Germany. In 1997 he was named San Francisco’s Artist of the Year and his work can be found in corporate, public, and private collections, including those of Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, Christine Baer, and Bill Paxton. Stagg spent most of his life living and working in San Francisco before passing away in 2001.

Stagg is best known for his remarkable Californian cityscapes and landscapes. His paintings often depict the natural, steep hills of San Francisco with cars careening down them, the solitary customers in city cafes, and the lush green hills alongside the vibrant city life: he presents a contrast between the urban beauty and the natural quietude of the Golden State. His work is also frequently identified by his use of light and color, which creates what he called “a certain subtle uneasiness” in what appears to be a normal, daily scene. This sense of ambiguity, like the study in contrast noted above, forces the viewer out of his ease and into the painting. By using bold, slashing strokes and vibrant, vivid hues, James Stagg established a new style of cityscape paintings that expressed the beauty and energy of urban life, but with an intriguing edge.