James Albertson (1944–2015) was a Northern California painter known for provocative narrative works that embrace the uncomfortable, irreverent and taboo. Combining vibrant color, strong brushwork and a deliberately cartoonish style, Albertson depicted sex, violence, religion, racial tensions and other subjects. His sometimes disturbing imagery—including works in which children appear in adult or sexually suggestive situations—tested boundaries of taste while challenging viewers to consider the distinction between representation and endorsement. Albertson secured a place in contemporary art history through his inclusion in curator Marcia Tucker’s landmark 1978 exhibition “Bad” Painting at the New Museum in New York. Albertson’s technically accomplished but intentionally outrageous paintings made him particularly suited to Tucker’s redefinition of “bad” as an artistic strategy rather than a judgment of quality. Although respected by fellow artists, Albertson remained outside the mainstream art market and museum establishment for much of his career. His work nevertheless occupies an important place within the sometimes transgressive tradition of Bay Area figuration.