James Richards
Rice Drawing One: Ancient House

Media: Papermaking: Rice Drawing on Abaca
Size: 11.75" x 8" x 0.062"
$1200

Artist Statement:
The Age of Isolation resulting from the Covid-19 Pandemic has resulted in several new bodies of work. The absence of the constant distraction of work (I have been unemployed since mid-March) has allowed for an uninterrupted explosion of ideas and the time to develop them. Several themes underlie the work I have submitted. A grain of rice is symbolic of an increment of time for me. When our son was born I started a collection of rice, one grain for every day he was alive, which I continued for the first 18 years of his life. In the abundance of time I have had I was thinking about making drawings with rice as an expression the passage of time during this isolation. These two Rice Drawings resulted. The rice is embedded in the Abaca, as we are embedded in this time and this time is embedded in us. Paper making is something that I love to do. I learned about paper making in 2016. Ever since then it has been a source of great consolation for me, and is so important now, in these stressful times. I just feel good when I work with paper. I work primarily with Abaca and Kozo. One of the things that has always fascinated me about Abaca is the way it completely envelops what it covers. Like a spider web, it captures the shape of what lies underneath. This is resonant to me of what we are going through now: We are shaped by this time. We will always be affected by it, as the Abaca will always retain the shape of what lies beneath it. In this challenging time I have taken refuge in my imagination. This work is a result of that refuge. I hope you enjoy it. I enjoyed making it and appreciate the opportunity to show it to you.

Biography

I am a paper maker, sculptor and photographer living in New York City. I work with Abaca and Kozo and combine these fibers with wood, wire and photographic imagery to make 3 dimensional sculptures and books. I have shown my work in various group shows in the New York area, including the 440 Gallery (received Gallery Award), The Brownstone Art, bIG aLICe Barrel Room, the Allegany Art Council (received Photography as Sculpture Award) in Cumberland, MD, and will have a piece in a show at d'Art Center in Norfolk, VA opening in August. I am looking for magic and anything that creates a sense of wonder.

https://makerjim.com/