February 2024 Artist of The Season
Each season, we choose an artist who inspires the visual energy of Shoppe Object. This winter, we are so happy to have James Gallagher joining us as our Artist of the Season. James uses collage to investigate human form and personal identity, creating works that have been featured in museums and publications around the world. His Live Collage figures can be seen on the new HBO docuseries “Sex Diaries”. This February, James will be practicing the art of live collage with a model on the show floor at Shoppe Object; not to be missed! He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and three children.
NAME: James Gallagher
PLACE OF BIRTH: Detroit, MI
CURRENTLY RESIDE: Brooklyn, NY
YOUR COFFEE ORDER: Iced Latte with oat milk
IF YOU WERE A COLOR, YOU’D BE: Something neutral
We’re big fans of your work. Were you always an artist? What has your artistic journey been like?
Yeah, I have always been an artist. As a child, I tended to stay inside with my jigsaw puzzles and picture books while the neighborhood kids were outside kicking cans or throwing balls. But I didn’t really understand what being an artist was until I left the Midwest and found my people in NYC. At the School of Visual Arts, I took a printmaking class and discovered monoprinting, which had an immediacy that worked well for me. After graduating, I began illustrating a column in a local paper and soon realized that the logistics of getting to a print shop – with a baby in-tow – was a bit too much. On the eve of one deadline, I ended up just staying at home and cutting apart my prints. I immediately fell in love with the results and collage has been my medium of choice ever since. It is a completely natural way for me to express myself, and it’s also very therapeutic. In a sense it brings me back to that time when a jigsaw puzzle was my ultimate pleasure in life.
You told us that during COVID, you started joining artist Zoom sessions with live models. What do you love about working with a live model?
Early in the pandemic, I signed up for my first virtual figure model session. Originally I thought it would just be a nice distraction from the intensity of those early months in NYC. I’ve continued to attend sessions (now in-person) and have fully embraced exploring the figure in this setting. The experience of collaging in real time has helped strengthen my hand-eye coordination and allowed me to better trust my instincts. It has opened a new chapter in my fascination with the human condition, and has resulted in a body of work that I’m very happy with.
Can you tell us a bit about your bird portraits? They’re mesmerizing!
About ten years ago a wounded parakeet walked up to our Brooklyn stoop and soon became part of our family. At that time I was collecting vintage portraits that reminded me of my grandmother’s old family photos, which both intrigued me and unnerved me as a child. With our new pet flying around the apartment, I began to cut birds out of found books and place them on all the anonymous faces. It seemed to give them a jolt of energy, like breathing some life into their frozen stares.
Is there a particular feeling or message you hope your work conveys?
I hope my work sparks curiosity; that is a reaction I enjoy. When a viewer is presented an image or scenario that is not immediately clear, they often fill in the blanks in such a personal manner. It’s a bit like a Rorschach test. To be honest, I often have to figure out what my collages mean after the fact. They come together very impulsively, and I don’t really stop to think until the cutting and pasting is over.
What is your process like, if you don’t mind sharing?
I keep things simple. And work very quickly. My tools are just an X-acto knife, blades, matte medium, and disposable foam brushes. I buy them all in bulk. I’ve been collecting old books, magazines, ephemera, and tons of paper products for decades now. I have a whole studio full of source material that can be easily accessed and that all fits my aesthetic. I try not to plan things out before I begin working. I prefer to grab from what’s within reach and embrace the direction that it takes me. Happy accidents are my friends!
You also teach a class called the Art of Collage. How does teaching inform your art, or vice versa?
This course is for ‘casual artists’ which allows me to witness some truly inspiring collage. I’m providing them with guidance, support and encouragement, and in return they are blowing my mind with pure unrefined works of art.
Do you listen to anything while you work? What have you been listening to lately?
For the last few years, I have been making playlists for my collage classes. They often have a loose theme or mood. For example, Night Drive has a throbbing, ominous feel (Giorgio Moroder’s theme from American Gigalo, Massive Attach, Portishead, Talk Talk, and Patrick Cowely), while Dream Girl Evil has a warped poppy, R&B vibe (Tierra Whack, Remi Wolf, Little Dragon, and PinkPantheress).
What do you do to overcome a lull in inspiration?
For me inspiration comes in waves. When it fades I don’t try to force it. I tend to just focus on other things. That said ... an afternoon visiting galleries, or roaming the MoMA does wonders.
If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Well, I had a great french dip with au jus and killer fries last weekend at Walters in Fort Green. It wouldn’t be the healthiest thing to eat for the rest of my life, but I would enjoy it!
Thank you, James! We’re so excited to have you as our Artist of the Season.
Come meet James, shop his work, and watch his live demonstrations of the art of live collage at Shoppe Object in NYC, February 4-6 at our new additional location, Skylight at Essex Crossing.
