Fishing in Grand Prairie, by S. C. James

A vintage style painting of a boy holding a fresh catch. Grand Prairie is a small city nestled between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Overall, Grand Prairie combines a community-focused atmosphere with the conveniences of a larger city, making it an appealing place to live and visit. The city boasts a variety of recreational options, including parks, lakes, and the popular Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark, which is a hit with families.

Buffalo Soldier by S. Christopher James. Buffalo soldiers were African American soldiers who mainly served on the Western frontier following the American Civil War. In 1866, six all-black cavalry and infantry regiments were created after Congress passed the Army Organization Act. Their main tasks were to help control the Native Americans of the Plains, capture cattle rustlers and thieves and protect settlers, stagecoaches, wagon trains, and railroad crews along the Western front (History.com).

Mississippi Water was created on the news of the water situation in Jackson, Mississippi. I found some old water-soluble oil paints in the shoebox of traditional mediums and tried a technique I like using with watercolor paint. Specifically, gouache paint. However, I wanted to scratch my way into an image using an exacto knife and an etching needle similar to a scratchboard. The image is only 6 x 8 inches on a cold press illustration board. It held up exceptionally well. Since I am a big fan of Nina Simone,  I decided to use her as subject matter along with the title of one of her songs. With the foul water in Jackson, MS, I decided to revisit the song’s purpose and add this crisis to other past issues. I enjoyed the process and was pleased with the texture.

Art by S. Christopher James. African Americans comprised about 10% of the Union Army during the Civil War. The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 allowed for their enlistment, and approximately 180,000 African American soldiers served in the Union forces by the war’s end. This is a mixed-media composition comprised of subtle messaging. For example, the layering of the gesso connotes a slow washing out of a significant part of American history either by choice or lack of interest. Within the collage is a very faint word play that says “African American history”, “American History” and “A history”. A piece of the recruitment poster for enlisting is also part of the collage.

YANK!, by S. Christopher James ©2018. YANK was a U.S. Army weekly magazine created by enlisted for enlisted during WWII. It was printed from June 1943 until December 1945. As far as I know, not one of the covers had a photo of an African-American soldier or airman. I decided that the time has come to recognize this significant contribution to the war effort. I modeled this piece on one my favorite toys growing up. It represents the famed Tuskegee Airmen (nicknamed Redtails). I created this work modeled after a toy. It shows a baseline of worth for American soldiers who have fought and died since the birth of this country only to be treated horribly at home. This sacrifice was anything but fantasy or fiction.

Thelonious Monk by S. Christopher James ©2018.

Thelonious Monk (1917-1982) was a renowned American jazz pianist and composer. He was one of the most innovative and idiosyncratic musicians in the history of jazz. Monk’s unique style, characterized by dissonant harmonies, angular melodies, and rhythmic complexities, challenged traditional conventions and greatly influenced the development of bebop and modern jazz. His compositions, such as “Round Midnight” and “Blue Monk,” are now considered jazz standards. Monk’s playing style was marked by percussive and unpredictable improvisations that showcased his distinctive approach to the piano.

Thelonious Monk wore different hats as a form of personal expression, to enhance his public persona, out of comfort and habit, and possibly influenced by cultural norms of his time. This choice became a trademark of his iconic and enigmatic image. This piece is a symbol of the expression.

• Next, A biennial of Contemporary Print, 2019. Houston, Texas.
• 2019 ART214 Juried Exhibition City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs 2nd annual ART214 Juried Exhibition.
• 3×3 Illustration Annual No.15, Merit Award

American Jazz Trumpeter ©2020, by S. Christopher James.

This work is a celebration of Miles Davis. The image represents a time later in his career, during the 1980s. Upon closer inspection, the image contains other miniature drawings to build texture and contrast. Most of the imagery at this scale is just gibberish that is placed strategically to give the image depth and dimension.

Miles Davis (1926-1991) was an influential and innovative American jazz musician, trumpeter, and composer. He played a crucial role in the development of various jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, modal jazz, and jazz fusion. Known for his virtuosic trumpet playing, Davis constantly pushed boundaries and reinvented himself throughout his career. His albums, such as “Kind of Blue,” are considered timeless classics and have had a profound impact on the genre. Davis was not only a brilliant instrumentalist but also a visionary bandleader who collaborated with many talented musicians, fostering new approaches to improvisation and composition. His contributions to jazz and his ability to redefine the genre make Miles Davis an enduring and legendary figure in music history.

Exhibitions:

• TASA Artovation 2020.
• Art Fluent: Boundless 2020.

Virtual Reality, by S. Christopher James © 2022.

This piece utilizes a 20th-century viewfinder toy and a 21st-century toy game controller as a tool to draw comparisons between that time and the present in the United States. It is a creative and nostalgic way of exploring historical and social changes. By framing contemporary scenes through the lens of the past at the same time showing a popular toy of the present, this art offers viewers a unique perspective on how our society has evolved over time, there are some similarities but when you take our present technology our ability to find truth is hijacked by a fantasy that is hard to escape from and thus gives us a world that makes it more difficult to separate truth from fiction. It also invites contemplation about the impact of history on our current lives and the potential lessons we can learn from the past if we close to allow it.

Exhibitions:

• NEXT 2024 exhibition, Print Houston
  Ellio Fine Art, Houston, Texas
  June 2024
• 2024 Pots-n-Prints Juried Exhibition
  Nancy Fyfe Cardozier Gallery
  University of Texas of the Permian Basin
  June 2024