Kenton James creates visual history of his life

LOCAL ARTIST

"My inspirations shift with my life, where I live at the moment, a book or movie or song that shakes me up, the look of a woman sitting alone in a booth across the bar, everything I experience, from the extraordinary to the mundane seems to influence my work in one way or another," says visual artist Kenton James.

James was born in Appleton, Wisc., and raised in New Bern, N.C. Encouraged to pursue the straight life, James attended school at N.C. State, where he studied to become a medical researcher. But soon after discovering the ineffable feel of downtown Charleston on a school trip, James decided that Charleston would be the perfect location for pursuing his artistic endeavors.

Last week, James hosted a dark and compelling showcase of his most recent work at the East Bay Meeting House titled "Proximity."

This was his first show since the Yellow vs. Blue exhibition at Robert Lange Studios in April, where Robbin Kattas, the owner of East Bay Meeting House approached him about a week-long solo show.

"The Meeting House is one of my regular hangouts, so why not?" says James. "I wanted to do something a little different, to make it more than just an art show at a coffee house-type thing, so I decided to try and recruit bands I loved to make it as much of a music show as an art gig."

Exercising a theory that may bring the "Iceberg Principle" to an English teacher's mind, James hones in on a specific part of the setting, while allowing the viewer to create his/her own understanding of the "bigger picture."

"The themed pieces that were featured at the 'Proximity' show give the viewer a close-up of a larger scene; the idea being the viewer isn't given the whole story, which requires them to write in the details, to put their own spin on it. I love the idea that the story is not set, that it is different for everybody and changing over time." James doesn't claim to be knowledgeable about art history, nor can he cite an eminent artist who has influenced his painting. Instead of Van Gogh or, say, Andrew Wyeth, Kenton refers to his peers here in Charleston, as well as what he's currently reading or listening to, as his most potent creative stimuli.

"Robert Lange, Nathan Durfee and J.B. Boyd always seem to be the first artists that come to mind. They are absolutely incredible at what they do, and make me want to try harder and get better, so they definitely have an influence over me," says James.

He describes his trade, "I am beginning to realize I am unconsciously documenting my life with each painting, in effect creating a visual history like that old traveler with a shoebox of tattered post cards collected along the way."

Visit www.kentonjames.com.