Alexander James, The House On The Hill, 2019-2020. Acrylic and fabric stitched onto canvas, 134 x 120 cm, unique. Courtesy of Roman Road and the artist
Roman Road is starting the new year with an insightful solo exhibition presenting recent works by British artist Alexander James. Featuring unique pieces traversing different mediums, Look What The Cat Dragged In, takes visitors on a journey moving between a tangible reality and a digital existence. Through the artist’s varied and vibrant works, preparatory documents and sketches, the display guides viewers through his creative thought process, bringing together elements that inform his continued investigation and questioning of how the increasing digitalisation of the world intertwines and dwells within contemporary identities.
Alexander James, A.M-P.M, 2019-2020. Mixed media stitched onto fabrics with polyester and wadding, dimensions variable, unique. Courtesy of Roman Road and the artist
Patching elements of the past, the present and the preempted future, James’ multimedia works in Look What The Cat Dragged In reflectively tell a story about time. Teeming with recycled and timeworn fabrics, each holding their own tales of former eras and wearers, the artist’s works manifest characters and scenarios triggered from his childhood memories, projecting facets of past encounters into present existence. Acting as a diary for the audience, he showcases works on paper documenting his experiences or thoughts, which are later combined and expanded to create the wider narrative of his finished canvases.
Alexander James, Night Walks, 2020. Mixed media stitched onto canvas, 164 x 190 cm, unique. Courtesy of Roman Road and the artist
James seeks to reveal the impactful subtleties that exist in everyday interactions and the ever-present role digitalisation plays in defining personal identity today. Through his video Lonely Gestures II (2019-2020) and an installation of a reconstructed reality, he highlights how the technological future may extend the way in which we eventually experience life, transporting us into dreamlike scenarios that blur the lines between fantasy and truth. Situating viewers within realms known and unknown, James’ unsettling works gesture a visionary commentary on our relationship with the digital world and leave us to question and reflect on what human civilisation may be like in time ahead.
Alexander James Look What The Cat Dragged In at Roman Road Private View: Saturday 8th February 2020, 7 – 9 PM Exhibition: Sunday 9th February – Saturday 7th March 2020
Alexander James, Showers In The Sea, 2018-2019. Oil and acrylic on canvas, 144 x 275 cm, unique. Courtesy of Roman Road and the artist
About The Artist
Alexander James (b.1993, London) works across the mediums of painting, sculpture, video and installation. He graduated from the Camberwell College of Art, London, in 2015 with a BA degree in illustration. Previously, he completed an art foundation course at Leeds College of Art in 2012. James has exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions in London, Paris, Berlin and New York, and has also curated numerous shows, most recently One More Slope at the Elms Lesters Painting Rooms, London (2020), in collaboration with the British Fashion Council. Recent solo exhibitions include: I Loved Your Gestures, Galerie Joseph, Paris (2019); Sharper Than Razor Blades, Softer Than Leather, The Face Apartment, New York (2019); and A Kid Who Walked The Plank, Working Projects, London (201
