Artist Statement Feb 2009

             Born on the border between France and Switzerland, I received neither citizenship and therefore only have my parents American passport to call my own. And for all intents and purposes, I am American. There is nothing distinctively French about me, even down to my American accent. It’s easy for others to forget or overlook so I find myself continually asserting my French-ness, grasping at it and trying to make it my own. That theme is the basis for a lot of my more recent work.

             Issues of trust, honesty and dishonesty also hold an important place in my work. In my drawings, I use the act of spooning as a symbol of trust. It is comfort, it is honest, it is pure unadulterated intimacy. Spooning is safe but simultaneously creates vulnerability.

             I'm currently working on some small sculptural works, a video, a performative piece, and a large scale installation. Also, I expect them to be done in that order, but who knows, I don't, we'll see. Maybe some drawings.

- James