TECHNIQUES Working from his home studio in Texas, James reveals that each night he hopes to “get this sleep over so I can get into another painting”. His original works are sketched in pencil, before he applies acrylics to the canvas. His architectural background also feeds into his work, as he often uses computerised software as a drawing tool. Once the design is printed, he uses it to influence his final piece. James likens his pencil work to his part-time job at a grocery store as a 10-year-old boy. When changing the price on tins of food, he would smudge away the previous text, which over time developed into his technique of creating shade with an eraser. For his sliced pieces, he overlays different strips of paintings or drawings to juxtapose images and concepts. It’s a lengthy process, and James admits: “I never know what they are going to look like!”
INFLUENCES Painterly in style, James’ art transcends the parameters of Pop Art. Described by the late art scholar William Seitz as ‘timeless and universal’, his works merge iconography with startling colour. His separations of light and shadow (typical of news photographs) are inspired by magazines like Time, Life and National Geographic. Working with montage effects – which he terms metamage – James has experimented with techniques including stone lithography, intaglio printmaking, woodcuts and etching. As a jazz aficionado in the 1960s, he was also influenced by music – going on to capture The Doors’ lead singer, Jim Morrison, and the Beatles. The rise of the automobile industry also sparked a sense of artistic freedom, especially in Southern California, where cars became a symbol of exploring new worlds.
Enduring Fab Four (above) Silkscreen on Hand Made Paper | Edition of 90 Image Size 78cm x 98cm | Framed Size 105.5cm x 126cm £3,500 Framed
Marilyn On A Sunny Day Serigraph on Hand Made Paper | Edition of 100 Image Size 114cm x 85cm | Framed Size 125cm x 94cm £4,175 Framed
114 FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN2019
FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN2019 115
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