Jimmie James

Jimmie James' the retrieved (Berlin) is colorful, abstract 14.5 x 13.75 inch painting with drawing in acrylic and colored pencils on watercolor paper. Emerging from a painted white background, drawn elements reference birds, a house, and waver between figuration and abstraction. In the lower right quarter of the work the words "muse/ music" are repeated. Brushily painted areas of soft greens, pale blues, pale pinks and light yellows contrast with small but impactful areas of bright red, giving depth and movement to the composition. The interplay of economically drawn line and the brushy, organic painted shapes creates tension and compositional balance. James frequently uses automatic drawing in his work to free his hand from the control of his mind, shapes arriving on the support directly from his unconscious. This is an unframed painting on paper.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jimmie James is a poet, painter, actor and singer/songwriter. This renaissanced artist has long been a fixture of New York City's art, theater and music scene, showing at a number of galleries including 571 Projects, Andrea Schwartz Gallery, Boltax Gallery, and Thomas Werner Gallery, to name a few. He has performed in works by theatrical luminaries including Richard Maxwell, Christina Masciotti, Danny Hoch, and Susan Lori Parks, and has composed for theater and film, where projects include Seth Zvi Rosenfeld's "Everything's Turning into Beautiful," Amos Poe's "Empire II."

Whether painting, performing or composing, Jimmie James' work remains accessible while refusing containment. He is doggedly trans-disciplinary: part shaman, part poet, part craftsman. Combining paint, fiber, word and image into tapestry-like works on canvas and paper, he creates pieces that exhibit a strong sense of emotional integrity and truth, through spontaneous, organic line work and considered use of color.

Jimmie James' works are present in a number of private collections. Recently returned from gallery exhibitions and performances in Japan, Thailand and Spain, he currently lives and works in Berlin, Germany.