It´s always a great expierence to interview an artist and to know more about the person behind impressive artworks! Please read the inspiring interview with James Needham:
I was born in Rugby, England in 1983. I always had a strong artistic inclination as a child and following school I attended an art college for 2 years which taught me the basics of what is now my career. Over the next few years I travelled extensively around the world rather aimlessly, enjoying different cultures and taking life day to day. I always knew I wanted to pursue art as a career but somehow I always found a reason not to commit to it. On a trip to Australia in 2008 I met my future wife, which has proved to be the turning point in both my personal and artistic life.
Since then I have had a renewed passion, inspiration and dedication to my art which has showed no signs of halting. We are now happily settled in Queensland, Australia where my wife attends university and I am pursing my career as an artist.
My Artwork is essentially concerned with Human Beings. In my work this runs from the visual, aesthetic beauty of the Human form, to the exploration of human relationships and how we interact with one another.
I aim to create a drama in my scenes and instil in them a tension which will draw the viewer in. The scenes may be slightly ambiguous and the exact meaning unclear, inviting the viewer to question and reach their own conclusions.
There is an intentional voyeuristic element to my work which reflects the human obsession with other people and how we are viewed by others. Recently, much of my work
I aim to create a drama in my scenes and instil in them a tension which will draw the viewer in. The scenes may be slightly ambiguous and the exact meaning unclear, inviting the viewer to question and reach their own conclusions.
There is an intentional voyeuristic element to my work which reflects the human obsession with other people and how we are viewed by others. Recently, much of my work
has been based in an urban environment. This is down to a personal interest at the moment in street art, graffiti and urban degeneration. My work and interests are constantly changing and evolving, although humans and the world we have created always remain a central theme.
Who are your major influences?
In terms of Artists from the past I’m strongly influenced by Velazquez, Sargent, Munch, Matisse, Klimt, Schiele and Carlos Nadal to name a few. There are also many living artists who I admire greatly too- Michele Del Campo, Alberto Mielgo, Eric Fischl, Ed Hodgkinson. I could list more but we’d be here all day! Looking beyond the world of painting I am influenced by travel, books, movies, magazines and of course the people who I interact with on a day to day basis.
In terms of Artists from the past I’m strongly influenced by Velazquez, Sargent, Munch, Matisse, Klimt, Schiele and Carlos Nadal to name a few. There are also many living artists who I admire greatly too- Michele Del Campo, Alberto Mielgo, Eric Fischl, Ed Hodgkinson. I could list more but we’d be here all day! Looking beyond the world of painting I am influenced by travel, books, movies, magazines and of course the people who I interact with on a day to day basis.
In what ways do you stretch yourself to make your work grow?
In my early paintings I would paint an object or image directly from the source, with no additional input from myself or planning in regard to what I wanted the picture to say. I would see an image of a person and simply paint it. Now I take much more time to plan and prepare for a painting. For many of my larger paintings there is a fairly lengthy process involved before I even begin to paint. I may see an image or setting which is the starting point for the final painting. I will sketch ideas, try out compositions and moods before settling on the one which best suits my needs. At this point I will seek out reference material and take photographs of models (mainly good natured friends and of course my wife!) in the desired poses.
Whilst this method of working can be time consuming it is more rewarding and allows me to fully achieve my desired effect. It’s a very exciting way to work and is still a very new concept to me, being something I’ve only adopted in the last 6 months or so. This style ensures my work is constantly evolving and being pushed to new limits in terms of mood & storytelling, steering me away from stagnation and repetition in my Art.
In my early paintings I would paint an object or image directly from the source, with no additional input from myself or planning in regard to what I wanted the picture to say. I would see an image of a person and simply paint it. Now I take much more time to plan and prepare for a painting. For many of my larger paintings there is a fairly lengthy process involved before I even begin to paint. I may see an image or setting which is the starting point for the final painting. I will sketch ideas, try out compositions and moods before settling on the one which best suits my needs. At this point I will seek out reference material and take photographs of models (mainly good natured friends and of course my wife!) in the desired poses.
Whilst this method of working can be time consuming it is more rewarding and allows me to fully achieve my desired effect. It’s a very exciting way to work and is still a very new concept to me, being something I’ve only adopted in the last 6 months or so. This style ensures my work is constantly evolving and being pushed to new limits in terms of mood & storytelling, steering me away from stagnation and repetition in my Art.
What are your goals as an artist?
My main goal would be to keep creating and developing as an artist for as long as I can. Technically speaking I have a long way to go until I can paint to the standard I’m aiming for, so that is one goal that will be ongoing throughout my life. Aside from that, if the paintings I create are faithful to the image I had in mind when I started and they manage to provoke at least some thought in the viewer, I’ll be satisfied. Obviously I want to make a good living for my family from my Art, but that is more of a result of pushing myself as I’ve mentioned above than a goal in itself. As most artists would agree, there are easier ways to make money than painting pictures, so if you’re in it for the money you may be disappointed.
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