In the Studio with James Rose
I live in Bay Ridge, with views of the Verrazano Narrows and NYC Harbor. Neighborhoods like mine are the last stop for plastic waste before it ends up in the ocean. I want others to see what I see and feel what I feel. I have been making paintings to reflect these feelings. A plastic bag floating down the road or a straw sitting in the drainage grate is on its way to the ocean unless I stop it. When I walk by it and don’t do anything, I feel complicit.
For most of my career, my paintings have been urban. I see something that makes me feel a certain way and I try and convey that with paint or charcoal. I have always been fascinated by public transportation and the systems that move people around a city. I still make paintings of people in cities, but in 2019, I began painting trees in forests. Like the city, the forests make me feel a certain way. This feeling is always good. The fresh air, rocky trails and lush green reduces my stress and increase my mood. My goal is to show these positive feelings toward the environment in my paintings.
Social distancing has had a big effect on my practice. Just now is my studio in Chashama opening back up. This whole Spring, I have looked to other ways of making art than my studio practice. I have explored making videos and working digitally with photography as well. I go to city parks and make videos and photography that show the wildness of urban green spaces. Now that my studio is reopening this time away from painting has made me question the materials I have been using and whether I should explore more sustainable ways of making art.
Blank canvas in James’ studio
“Harriman”, oil on canvas, 24 by 18 inches, 2019
Studio view: “DEC”
“DEC”, oil on canvas, 48 by 60 inches, 2020
“Subway Riders, Beneath the Street”, oil on canvas, 35 by 55 inches, 2017
Studio view: “Subway Riders”
“Subway Riders”, oil on canvas, 60 by 48 inches, 2020