James Elaine

Lives and works in Celeste, TX, USA, Beijing, China

Artist statement

Over the years one specific focus of my work is the reclaiming and restoring to a new identity what is lost, forgotten, or broken in life and culture. The materials I use mirror the body and soul of the individual as well as society as a whole. I’m interested in using different materials, purchased or found, that are not necessarily associated with traditional painting or fine art, and pushing ways that stretch mediums in new directions. Materials that already have a history of their own, narratives altered by time, even broken or decayed, inspire me and influences the content and identity of my work. Since 2020 I have been living and working on a farm in rural northeast Texas. I have built several unique studio spaces in our old family barn and have been sorting through a 50-60 year accumulation of amazing objects, materials, and old leftover paints. My most recent works are created out of this context.

Artwork