Interview - James Jean
Words by Dan Jude
James Jean is about to explode. Not literally, although his vivid and inimitable illustrations and paintings often look like an atomic bomb of colour has just detonated over a blank canvas. But no, he’s actually about to explode all over the UK art scene, a breath of fresh air and innovation into an increasingly lifeless industry of hackneyed concepts and recycled ideas. Already massive across the pond, we’ve got a feeling that 2009 will be the year he breaks Britain. So move over Banksy, there’s a new master in town.
DH: How does it feel to be getting as much attention as you are now?
JJ: It’s very gratifying to know that my work is appreciated and remembered.
DH: Does your art carry a political message?
JJ: No. I’d like my work to occupy a political space.
DH: Can art ever just be art, or does it always mean something?
JJ: Whenever we look at something, our minds are automatically making connections, intellectually and emotionally. We’re always conjuring up meaning out of nothing.
DH: Who are your influences?
JJ: Japanese Woodblock prints, Northern Renaissance paintings and etchings, Chinese scroll paintings, Shanghai advertising posters, comics, anatomical charts, and vintage printed ephemera . . . the list goes on.
DH: How much would someone have to pay you to paint their bedroom?
JJ: It depends on what happens in bed.
DH: What do you do when you’re not working on art?
JJ: Thinking about it.
DH: How much time do you spend working?
JJ: 10 -12 hours a day, but not all of it painting. Running a business and a household requires its fair share of care and finesse.
DH: What do you think of Banksy?
JI: I think he’s great. I love how he’s taken his success and invested it into bigger and more engrossing projects.
DH: How would you describe your style?
JJ: I hate using the word “style.” For me, it’s about stories, memories, composition, and beauty. I’d like the work to evolve and grow, and I feel that the most exciting changes are still to come.
DH: What advice would you give to someone starting out?
JJ: Diligence over talent.
DH: Do you believe that the amount of money art sells for is related to how good it is?
JJ: It’s a measure of how desirable it is. “Good” is subjective, but we are subservient to desire.
DH: What do you think of conceptual art?
JJ: I think therefore it exists?
DH: What inspires you?
JJ: Good ideas.
DH: What’s next for James Jean?
JJ: More gallery shows, more books, more revelations.
James Jean’s blog and webstore can be found at http://www.processrecess.com. His current exhibition is at the Jonathan Levine Gallery throughout January.
Posted Wed, January 14, 2009
Comments on Interview - James Jean
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Posted by: rosie.(: | 21/01/2009 at 21:14