ABOUT THE ARTIST

James paints directly onto raw, unstretched canvas, working instinctively, without a preamble or pause for thought. His earliest work was observational and figurative, with a kind of meticulous precision. Having demonstrated this precocious skill, he felt free to cast off formal technique and to work in a more expressive way, characterized by loose, vivid unpredictability.

The first impression is of gestural vitality and rich painterly effect—bright colors merge into murky smudges; sharp definition blurs into misty formlessness. There are sweeping lines, scribbly detail, indistinct color washes, and paint drips, flows, or clumps into crusty accretions.

Suggestions of a formal structure are quickly subverted. Amidst this abstract maelstrom, there are hints of crude calligraphy, figuration, and human faces—ambiguous, half-formed, partially erased.

“The last decade has been about dissecting the human form in a process that is energetic, spontaneous, and organic. I now find it more powerful to capture the essence of a person rather than to render an exact image. The paintings I make today are one-offs that I couldn’t replicate. They are unique to specific moments authentic to me. I don’t look for or seek inspiration; I live my colorful life and allow that to guide the path for my practice.”