My art reflects
the transpiration of my surroundings. I am a social individual often
instigating collaboration in large artistic events. These experiences
put me in touch with the mass population and can be seen directly in
my work. I paint individuals and crowds set in an urban environment
(currently New York and in the past San Francisco and Boston).
The combination
of sublime and familiar is the paradox of my work, creating a tension
but also giving the viewer a relational experience. I use repetitive
imagery such as large crowds or buildings with hundreds of windows.
The idea of the swarm or large numbers often can give an overwhelming
feeling but ultimately hypnotizing, creating a sublime transcendence
through the familiar.
All of my work
plays on the idea of the individual in relation to environment,
ranging from the man made to the natural. The natural parks, subways
and city buildings all are the environment surrounding the
individual. The ideology of my paintings, is postmodern, specifically
focusing on multiculturalism, feminism and identity occurring in the
interactive space of a city. Much of these issues occur in microcosms
on the subway. I am fascinated by this and document them in my
paintings.
These subway
paintings also bring in the element of time, I explore movement and
travel in seconds and minutes with my sketch pad and charcoal while
riding the subway. I capture a moment while someone is in transition
from one place to another, with only a few minutes before the
situation completely changes. It is how the individual comes to terms
with environment through transition in time. The daily commute
becomes something else, turning the repetitive familiar into
something transforming. The sketches, photos and hired models I use
are my departure point. I convert this information with my individual
color palette, light and composition.
Education:
1990-1994 Maine College of Art,
Portland Maine
- BFA in painting, selected student
speaker at graduation.
- Focus in oil painting, art history
and theory, color theory, drawing.
2004 California College of the
Arts
- Extended Education- advanced oil
painting.
-Visiting artist lecture series.
Solo Exhibitions:
1994 Clapp House, Maine College of
Art, Portland, Maine
2003 XYZ, Hotel W, San Francisco,
Ca.
2009, Capital Repertory Theater,
Albany, New York.
2009, The Gallery Bar, 120 Orchard
Street, NY, NY.
2009, NY Public Library, Harlem
Branch, 9 W124th Street, NY, NY.
2009, George Bruce Branch NYPL, 518
West 125th Street, NY,NY.
2010, Gilles Larrain Gallery and Art
Salon, 95 Grand Street, NY, NY.
2010, Le Salon D'Art, 90 Stanton
Street, NY, NY.
2010, Proctor's Theater Guild Room
Gallery, Schenectady, NY.
2010, Greenpoint Gallery, 390
McGuiness Blvd, Brooklyn, NY.
2011, St Agnes Branch NY Public Library,
444 Amsterdam Ave, NY, NY.
Group
Exhibits:
1994 Portland Chamber of Commerce,
Portland, Maine.
1995 Juried Alumni Show, Moser
Gallery, Madison Ave, NY, NY.
1996 The Hand Gallery, Post Street,
San Francisco, Ca.
2002 Viv, Emerging Artist Show, San
Francisco, Ca.
2004 Staff Exhibit, California
College of Art, Oakland, Ca.
2004 Studio Z, Silent Auction, San
Francisco, Ca.
2005 ArtSF, Say What!?, San
Francisco, Ca.
2005 ArtSF, Undertones, San
Francisco, Ca.
2006 Backstage Gallery, Russian Hill,
San Francisco, Ca.
2006 CCCA Riders Mills Art
Exhibition, Chatham, New
York
2007 Hudson Arts Walk, Warren
Street, Hudson, New
York
2008 Upstate Artist Guild Silent
Auction, Albany, NY.
2008, Too Marvelous for Words,
Albany Center Gallery, Albany, New York.
2009, Essential, Music and Art Show,
531 West 25th Street, NY, NY.
2010, Ico Gallery, 606 West 26th
Street, NY, NY.
2010, Green Point Gallery, 390
McGuiness Blvd, Brooklyn, NY.
2011, Scrawl, Art Space, New Haven,
Connecticut.
2011, The Drawing Story, Harlow Gallery, 160 Water St., Hallowell,
Maine.
2011, Figuratively Speaking, The
Loom, 1087 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY.
2011, Exquisite Corpse, Mana Fine Art Annex, 227 Coles Street, Jersey City, N.J.
Press:
Time Out New York,
Own This City, “James Rose, New York to Israel to New York”, October, 2010.
Portland Press Herald,
“Harlow Explores: What is Drawing”, June, 2011.
2008, Metroland, weekly editorial and entertainment paper,
"Cirque de la Nightclub", profile on James Rose organization of
artistic events in Albany, New York.
2009, Good Day New York, Channel 5, Fox Network, "James
Rose, the People's Artist", Reporter Christal Young joins James Rose on
subway for interview and to film him drawing subway riders.
2010, Manhattan CTV interview for variety show featuring
James Rose as a New York Artist.
Volunteer
Work:
2007-2008, Upstate Artist Guild, Albany, New York. Organizer
of three very successful art auctions
and performances as fundraisers for UAG. Sat for UAG gallery on weekend
afternoons.
2005, KQED Public Television, San Francisco, California.
Answered phones for SPARK pledge drive, to benefit inner city youth arts
program.
2004, Art Seed, San Francisco, California. Assisted with
fundraiser art auctions for inner city youth arts program.
2002, Precita Eyes, San Francisco, California. Inner city
mural and arts program, teaching little kids how to paint.
Other
Interests:
2007- 2010, Alter Ego/Cirque de la Nocturne, producer and
organizer of a monthly art/dance show in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Show
involves fine art, comedy, break dance, burlesque, ballet, modern dance and belly dance.
Bio:
I was born in 1972 in the Hudson Valley city of Catskill,
NY. I was raised in Kinderhook, NY on the East side of the Hudson River two
hours north of New York City. I first realized my dream of becoming a
professional artist in High School under the guidance of my art teacher, John
King. In 1990, I enrolled in the Maine College of Art. There, I studied
painting and received my BFA in 1994. In 1995, I moved to San Francisco,
California to expand my horizons and discover the West Coast Art World. I
showed in galleries and underground art movements. I worked at the California
College of Art in the mid 2000’s in a few different departments. Here I
assisted with the execution of art openings by the Wattis Institute, assisted
the Communications Department promote the College at Art Fairs and I did
clerical work in the Business Office. I was able to take painting classes,
attend visiting artist lectures and get a feel for the art world in the new
millennium. In 2006, I returned to Upstate New York after eleven years on the
West Coast. I became involved with the Columbia County Council for the Arts and
exhibited art work in group exhibitions. I also became active in the Upstate
Artist Guild and organized fundraising Art Auctions. The first of three
auctions sold out 35 pieces of artwork raising $2,500, the following two
auctions also sold many pieces raising another couple thousand dollars. In
2008, I was drawn to the center of the international art world, NYC. I moved to
Manhattan and eventually to Queens. I have gathered several artists around me
and have curated several shows and helped organize monthly productions of art,
dance and music. I have had solo exhibits in galleries and public institutions
like the Gallery Bar and the New York Public Library. I continue to paint and
grow as an artist and reside in Jamaica, Queens.
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