This past particularly sticky Friday evening brought us to The Walls Project Art & Design Center where we got a chance to attend the official opening of the James Kimura-Green exhibit. Combining multiple media and inspiration from his well-traveled life and experiences, Kimura-Green has a unique perspective and drive that conveys the relentless pursuit of perfect. Kimura-Green quotes,
“I try to relinquish a certain amount of control and entice ambiguity to enter into the image. It is by exploring the vague spaces of abstraction and representation, the intuitive and logical, the accidental and deliberate that I get absorbed in the moments of discovery.”
While staying in Venice, Italy, Kimura-Green was inspired by Byzantine artwork, which most often incorporates a technique called gold leaf. It was during this period that he became enchanted with metal working. In an economical effort to replicate the technique, he resorted to using aluminum paint, graphite, and metallic sprays to no avail. This setback did not hinder him and he continued to explore other viable options and media. A man born and raised in Tokyo, Kimura-Green cited that while in his hometown, he drew inspiration from the sports pages in the newspaper. Sports pages published in Japan are different from all others you'll come across because of their exclusive use of primary colors to draw the eyes of prospective readers. This style of print makes Japanese sports pages both rich in color and optically attractive. Kimura-Green, recognizing this unique medium, decided to include it in his pieces while also featuring silver leafing.
We most admire how Kimura-Green never rushed the process in the creation of these gorgeous pieces, spending months letting each develop uniquely into a finished product. It is a fact that artists can always learn from other artists, simply because the creative process is surprisingly similar across the board. If there was one word or theme we could highlight throughout Kimura-Green's lecture, it would be PATIENCE.
If you would like to see his work in person, it is available for the next few months to view at The Walls Project Art and Design Center 451 Florida St Baton Rouge, LA 70801 // ATTB