JAMES McQUEEN
As elusive as a rare first edition book, James McQueen operates under a fictitious name so his art can speak for itself. His debut collection, Non-Fiction , recreates the nostalgia of vintage books, with the subversive titles and graffiti elements giving his multi-layered paintings a contemporary aesthetic. Viewed up close, the large-scale limited edition prints have an effect not dissimilar to the giant playing cards in Lewis Carroll’s 1895 novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland .The supercharged Pop Ar t colours have been replicated in exquisite detail by our specialist atelier team, who have captured the worn texture of James’ original paintings through the fine art silkscreen process. “I think I’ve always been fascinated by books – especially old books,” explains James, whose work is owned by celebrities including the British TV presenter Phillip Schofield. “I want to create that wear and tear, that authenticity. By removing the paint, I am recreating the feeling of old books from a vintage bookshop.The exposure of these layers represents the history and journey of the ar twork, just as a used book will have its own story.” An avid collector, James can often be found amongst the dusty shelves and secret backrooms of old
bookshops in NewYork and London. Stylistic influences have been meticulously shelved: his ethereal edges have been likened to those of Mark Rothko, while he also emulates the honesty and boldness of Tracey Emin, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francis Bacon. James’ creative background in photography and woodwork informs his almost photorealist book covers, with the hand-stencilled fonts chosen to reflect the feeling of the quotes.These range from humorous to cautionary, from the tongue-in-cheek ‘Happiness Is Expensive’ to the darker ‘Be Careful What YouWish For’. He adds: “Some quotes are fun and light to make you smile; others are grey and dark.They show life’s rich tapestry. My collectors choose these pieces because the quote resonates with them. It’s something they can look at every day, as if it is a book on their shelf.”
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