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[LINK IN BIO] New Interview - thank you for the th

[LINK IN BIO] New Interview - thank you for the thoughtfully engaged conversation with Tolga Rahmalaroglu at Luxiders Magazine about my practice, meaning, process, societal aspects and how I hope to engage with an audience.

LINK IN BIO for full interview

Exerpt:
From sculpture to performance art, the LA-based artist James Gilbert envisions a fascinatingly unique world through his art. We asked Gilbert about his experiences before and after creation, and his derivation points.

The Los Angeles-based multifaceted artist James Gilbert might be one of the purest transformative talents in art: What the artist takes as an inspiration to produce an artwork always comes from a merger of ‘everything’. Merging the moments gets more and more fascinating with Gilbert’s touch, as he interprets the materials to use in a way that matches Gilbert’s sensualistic, natural, and meaningful process of creation. On the other hand, what James Gilbert presents is beyond an artistic flux, but a milestone, a witness, and a commenter to the times we have been through and currently experiencing. The artist states “For me, the role of art is only powerful in shaping collective consciousness if we are actively engaged, paying attention and willing to think deeply and then behave accordingly,” when he is asked about his perception of art. Here is a heart-stopping interview with James Gilbert about his art and societal aspects of it.
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#jamesgilbert #artist #interview #contemporaryart #vontemporarysculpture #art #ultracontemporary #installation #landart #fiberart #textile #woodcarving #arttopics #artdiscussion #curator #arte #sculpturelovers #artconversation @luxiders_magazine #berlin #europe #losangelesartist #artistinterview

Are We Taking the Same Risks, 2023 34 x 13 x 16 in

Are We Taking the Same Risks, 2023
34 x 13 x 16 inches
wood, stain, metal, wax
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#artexhibition #artmuseum #contemporaryartsculpture #sculpturemagazine #sculptureartists #woodsculptureart #sculpturalart #contemporarysculptor #lovesculpture #sculptorsofinstagram #contemporarysculptures #contemporarycollector #handcarving #sculptors #sculpture_gallery #contemporaryfigurativeart #sculptureoftheday #sculpture_art #sculptureartist #woodsculpture #contemporaryartcollector #contemporary_art #contemporarysculpture #sculptureart #artcurator #contemporaryartist #sculpture

I don’t question what interests me, I want to co

I don’t question what interests me, I want to combine as many of those dissimilar ideas as possible. This is how I want to move through my days - collecting as much information as I can and base ideas and actions on them. I want my work to behave the way too. As someone who also shifts between disciplines nor do I question changing materials as those do carry significant meaning and are important to serve the idea. Though, I do feel it is necessary to pay attention to social behaviors, complex relationships, moments that define us and shift knowledge. That’s is where I question.
This is how I explain my responsibility to social groups, communities and culture.
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#jamesgilbert
#contemporaryartsculpture #collectorsofart #woodsculptureart #artcollectorsofinstagram #woodartists #artworkofinstagram #contemporarysculptor #lovesculpture #woodcarvingart #contemporarycollector #sculpturegallery #sculpturesofinstagram #handcarving #figuresculpture #artonistagram #instaartlovers #sculptors #contemporarycurator #instasculpture #sculpturelovers #contemporarygallery #sculptureoftheday #sculpture_art #sculptureartist #artadvisory #contemporary_art #artcurators #contemporarysculpture

I was compelled to document every grave stone of a

I was compelled to document every grave stone of an entire small, old village in the south of France. This could have just as easily been in any town in the world. In the end we are only two numbers for people that never knew us. I think about these rubbings a lot as I have still not decided how I will use them. Every time I feel affected by news and world events that I return to the idea that small specific moments are often the memorable moments of our relationships and lives and that anything beyond that is not as important. Living together and working together should be the goal with each of us contributing to a society to make it better for everyone not just ourselves. Ah, but perhaps I’m trying to balance my optimism with my pessimism with wishes and realities. Let me know what you think.
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#jamesgilbert #artist #drawing #generations #history #ancestors #culture #philosophy #relatives #art #dates

History lesson. My version. - - - - - - - #contem

History lesson. My version.
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#contemporaryartsculpture #woodcarvingartist #woodensculptures #woodsculptureart #woodartists #woodsculptures #lovesculpture #sculptorsofinstagram #woodcarvingart #sculpturegallery #sculpturesofinstagram #figuresculpture #sculptors #sculpturestudio #instasculpture #sculpturelovers #visualartists #sculptureoftheday #artsculpture #artobject #sculpture_art #sculptureartist #artadvisory #woodsculpture #contemporary_art #contemporaryartists #contemporarysculpture #softsculpture #drawing #purple

Details of joints I make. - - - - - - - - - - #ja

Details of joints I make.
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#jamesgilbert #artdetail #contemporarysculpture #woodcarvingartist #woodsculpture #lovesculpture #sculptorsofinstagram #sculpturegallery #figuresculpture #sculptors #intasculpture #visualartists #sculptureoftheday #woodsculptureart #contemporary_art

Last week to view the exhibition, Baker’s Dozen

Last week to view the exhibition, Baker’s Dozen at Torrance Art Museum. This is one of three sculptures included.

We Did this to Ourselves, 2020
Wood, stain, pigmented wax
37x28x25 inches

@torranceartmuseum
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#artshow #artexhibition #contemporaryart #artopening #visualartist
#SouthBay #torranceartmuseum #artmuseum #contemporaryart #sculptureartists #woodsculptureart #woodsculptures #sculpturalart #contemporarysculptor #sculptorsofinstagram #contemporaryartworks #contemporarycollector #handcarving #sculptors #sculpturestudio #artcollecto #instasculpture #visualartists #sculptureoftheday #sculpture_art #contempora #contemporaryartwork #woodcarving #contemporaryartist

The Descendants, Survivors and Forebears 2022 goua

The Descendants, Survivors and Forebears 2022
gouache, watercolor, ink, colored pencil on paper
52 × 42 inches

For this series of drawing I allow the background to be visible through the faces as we all have history and ancestral story that passes through generations and is evident in our current lives and individual portraits.
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#collectorsofart #artcollectorsofinstagram #artworkofinstagram #contemporarycollector #instaartlovers #contemporaryfigurativeart #visualartists #artforyourwalls #sculptureartist #figurativeartist #contemporary_art #artcurators #artadvisor #artgalleries #artcurator #contemporaryartist #arte #drawing #workonpaper

It’s been nearly a full year cycle for a sculptu

It’s been nearly a full year cycle for a sculpture I completed at @franconiamn for @4groundbiennial
It’s been fun to watch it from full bloom, overgrown green grass, dormant native plants and snow covered. It is living within its environment as planned.

Franconia Sculpture Park offers a 50-acre outdoor museum, active artist residency program, and a depth and breadth of community arts programming for a diverse and engaged public. Open 365 days a year.

How Much Earth For Sale? 2022
Earth, concrete, wood, metal, paint
11x14x6 feet
- Building with rammed earth is the one of the oldest techniques. Civilizations have historically relied on earth as an available material - it is durable, cost effective with minimal environmental impact.

How Much Earth is for Sale? is conceived as a monument, even for those with whom we disagree. We have become a nation of judgmental provocateurs, leveraging social media platforms to saturate the popular zeitgeist with superficiality, while evading taking responsibility on what’s at stake: access to justice, historical redress, environmental disasters, and racial inequity. We are spurring divisions and conflicts within our communities and households.

A staple of federal and state cases related to Native American land title for 200 years is Johnson v. M'Intosh, 21 U.S. (7 Wheat.) 543 (1823). The landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court held that private citizens could not purchase lands from Native Americans. The legal result was that the only conveyances executing valid transfers of land title ownership with Native Americans were the one transacted with the Federal Government: creating a system of monopoly, annihilating free market-style biddings and enabling the acquisition of Native American lands at the lowest possible cost.

The home frame replicates that of a Monopoly board-game piece and the lines of the home painted in ‘warning and safety’ color orange

Torrance Art Museum, currently on view. @torranc

Torrance Art Museum, currently on view.

@torranceartmuseum

Does Not Begin and End the Way We See, 2020, wood, stain, pigmented wax 32 x 22 x 25 inches

Bakers Dozen, A Survey of thirteen
Southern California contemporary art practices
This summer will be the 8th installment of TAM's innovative exploration of the Southern California
Artistic landscape of the past year.
Referencing the practice by bakers of including more than twelve in their dozen. TAM's curatorial staff also generously includes more than twelve artistic practices in their survey exhibition. The selections within this exhibition reflect the preconceptions and biases of TAM curatorial staff, centering on Southern California artistic endeavors at this moment in time.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Suzanne Bybee, Pui Tiffany Chow, Rosson Crow, Lola del Fresno, James Gilbert, Deborah Lynn Irmas, James Langford, Atilio Pernisco, Cindy Phenix, Alicia Piller, Dani Tull, Michael Chattem, Jack X

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#artshow #artexhibition #contemporaryart #artopening #visualartist
#SouthBay #torranceartmuseum #artmuseum #contemporaryart #sculptureartists #woodsculptureart #woodsculptures #sculpturalart #contemporarysculptor #sculptorsofinstagram #contemporaryartworks #contemporarycollector #handcarving #sculptors #sculpturestudio #artcollecto #instasculpture #visualartists #sculptureoftheday #sculpture_art #contempora #contemporaryartwork #woodcarving #contemporaryartist

Torrance Art Museum, currently on view. Bakers D

Torrance Art Museum, currently on view.

Bakers Dozen, A Survey of thirteen
Southern California contemporary art practices
This summer will be the 8th installment of TAM's innovative exploration of the Southern California
Artistic landscape of the past year.
Referencing the practice by bakers of including more than twelve in their dozen. TAM's curatorial staff also generously includes more than twelve artistic practices in their survey exhibition. The selections within this exhibition reflect the preconceptions and biases of TAM curatorial staff, centering on Southern California artistic endeavors at this moment in time.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Suzanne Bybee, Pui Tiffany Chow, Rosson Crow, Lola del Fresno, James Gilbert, Deborah Lynn Irmas, James Langford, Atilio Pernisco, Cindy Phenix, Alicia Piller, Dani Tull, Michael Chattem, Jack X Proctor, and Leslie Foster

@torranceartmuseum

Foreground;
We Did this to Ourselves, 2020
Wood, stain, pigmented wax
37x28x25 inches

Background:
Does Not Begin and End the Way We See, 2020, wood, stain, pigmented wax 32 x 22 x 25 inches

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#artshow #artexhibition #contemporaryart #artopening #visualartist
#SouthBay #torranceartmuseum #artmuseum #contemporaryart #sculptureartists #woodsculptureart #woodsculptures #sculpturalart #contemporarysculptor #sculptorsofinstagram #contemporaryartworks #contemporarycollector #handcarving #sculptors #sculpturestudio #artcollecto #instasculpture #visualartists #sculptureoftheday #sculpture_art #contempora #contemporaryartwork #woodcarving #contemporaryartist

Delivered. Upcoming at Torrance Art Museum, openi

Delivered. Upcoming at Torrance Art Museum, opening May 27th.

A Survey of thirteen
Southern California contemporary art practices
This summer will be the 8th installment of TAM's innovative exploration of the Southern California
Artistic landscape of the past year.
Referencing the practice by bakers of including more than twelve in their dozen. TAM's curatorial staff also generously includes more than twelve artistic practices in their survey exhibition. The selections within this exhibition reflect the preconceptions and biases of TAM curatorial staff, centering on Southern California artistic endeavors at this moment in time.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Suzanne Bybee, Pui Tiffany Chow, Rosson Crow, Lola del Fresno, James Gilbert, Deborah Lynn Irmas, James Langford, Atilio Pernisco, Cindy Phenix, Alicia Piller, Dani Tull, Michael Chattem, Jack X Proctor, and Leslie Foster

@torranceartmuseum
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#artshow #artexhibition #contemporaryart #artopening #visualartist
#SouthBay #torranceartmuseum #artmuseum #contemporaryart #sculptureartists #woodsculptureart #woodsculptures #sculpturalart #contemporarysculptor #sculptorsofinstagram #contemporaryartworks #contemporarycollector #handcarving #sculptors #sculpturestudio #artcollecto #instasculpture #visualartists #sculptureoftheday #sculpture_art #contempora #contemporaryartwork #woodcarving #contemporaryartist

My rules to live by. I made this drawing about a y

My rules to live by. I made this drawing about a year ago. It is my reminder of what kind of world I want to live in.

I have admitted, too close, relationship with political and cultural news habit. Many times I feel I need to be aware of everything around me to better be able to respond within my work. However, during recent travels, mainly to countrysides, I put my phone away, ignored the news, and tried my best to experience the quality of life around me. Rules: we know there are too many distractions, we know good will, services and gestures don’t make headlines like drama, fear and celebrity, but we know there many people who are clever, talented, and trying to make a positive contribution to society.

Where a prized career opportunity is reality show talent judge you know we have a cultural societal problem, 2022
14 x 11 inches
gouache, colored pencil on paper
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#collectorsofart #artcollectorsofinstagram #artadvisors #artworkofinstagram #contemporaryartcurators #contemporaryartworks #contemporarycollector #objectart #artcollectorsofig #artdetail #visualartists #contemporarypaintings #contemporaryarts #contemporaryartcollector #contemporaryartwork #contemporaryartist #drawing #goauche #coloredpencil #pink #wordart #realitytv #rulestoliveby #society #showbusiness

Beginnings to end of a few sculptures. I really li

Beginnings to end of a few sculptures. I really like how they look together.

No matter what scientists and historians discover about ancient civilizations there is always an unknown about the societies’ cultural identity because it wasn’t recorded. In some cases sculptures, idols, markers or drawings exist or were left behind for us and we can try our best to interpret. I am interested in those objects and their relationship to identity and history. Some is speculation, some is science. What will future generations know about us?
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#woodcarving #arte #sculpture #woodart #woodcarving #contemporaryart #artist #exhibition #curation #detail #feature #monochrome #white #feet #figurative #abstraction

That one time I decided to ship 25 years of my jou

That one time I decided to ship 25 years of my journals to another country so I could spent time researching, reading, and exploring for future projects:
1. The airline lost them
2. Customs opened them
3. I almost just lost them again recently due to a major studio water leak
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#jamesgilbert #artist #journal #writing #sketckbook #tavel #tsa #airlines #customs #anothercountry #lostluggage #fear #internationaltravel #personaljournal #history #archive #lost #damaged #waterdamage #sherylcrow #diary #personalhistory #shortstory #drawing #thoughts #philosophy #studio #disaster #dontshipyourlifeswork

I Don’t Know How to be Everything to Everyone, 2

I Don’t Know How to be Everything to Everyone, 2020, wood, stain, pigmented wax, 18 1/2 x 11 x 9 inches, private collection
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Yet to be titled, 2022, 52x42 inches
Watercolor, gaouche, ink, colored pencil on paper

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#jamesgilbert #artist #sculpture #art ##contemporaryart #woodcarving #handmade #carving #pink #figurativeart #bust #statue #monument #artcollector #artgallery #artdaily #collector #artistsoninstagram #upsidedown #head #detail #drawing #painting #arte #watercolor #goauche #coloredpencil

When you travel all night and then wake up to four

When you travel all night and then wake up to fourteen new messages with news you didn’t expect to hear but also were waiting to hear and you can only think to reply “Oh my, dress warm. Let me know when you are back and safe.”
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Yet to be titled, gouache, watercolor, ink, colored pencil on paper, 52x42 inches.
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#jamesgilbert #drawing #painting #workonpaper #faces #hands #crowd #greenandorange #whatshappening #awakeinthemiddleofthenight #news #travelstories

Misinterpreted Memories About Oneself, 2019, wood,

Misinterpreted Memories About Oneself, 2019, wood, paint, pigmented wax, 42 x 12 x 12 inches
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#jamesgilbert #sculpture #balancingheads #wood #carvedwood #figurative #contemporaryart #arte #contemporarysculpture #classicart #portrait #bust #heads

A pairing Culprit, 2019, wood, paint, pigmented w

A pairing
Culprit, 2019, wood, paint, pigmented wax, 29 x 14 x 10inches
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#jamesgilbert #artist #sculpture #art #contemporaryart #woodcarving #handmade #carving #pink #figurativeart #bust #statue #monument #artcollector #artgallery #artdaily #collector #artistsoninstagram #upsidedown #head #oilpainting #oil #losangeles

there is nothing good or bad except by comparison,

there is nothing good or bad except by comparison, 2023
Unfinished wood
54 x 16 x 15 inches
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#jamesgilbert #sculpture #wood #carving #contemporaryart #arte #figurative #monument #statue #heads #rawwood #contemporarysculpture #france #losangeles #studiovisit #artist

Skin & Stones Explores identity and inequality var

Skin & Stones
Explores identity and inequality variances among cultural divisions while our individual ideas of civil domesticity are confronted. Basic ideas of human rights are challenged when capital punishment are allowed to exist to either control women or punish them for their sexuality. The audience is invited to justify their own action by either throwing a stone and breaking the object or refraining from picking up a stone while simultaneously protecting the object. Archive image 2013
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#news #anotherdayinnews #rights #humanrights #newstoday #whycantwegetitright #sculpture #performance #figurative #concept #contemporaryart #artist #archive

A few winter views of “How Much Earth for Sale?” at @franconiamn which was part of @4groundbiennial

How Much Earth for Sale?
Earth, concrete, wood, metal, paint
11 x 14 x 6 feet
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Photo by Jane Borstad
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#publicsculpture #monument #outdoorart #winter #arte #contemporarysculpture #sculpturepark #architecture #rammedearth #landrights #realestate #artinpublicplaces

Ten years ago at @dallascontemporary I had a perfo

Ten years ago at @dallascontemporary I had a performance where, over the course of two nights, I wrestled anyone who wanted to wrestle me. There were 23 matches. We had a full size wrestling mat and a professional referee. While it was intended to be a fun performance there certainly were a few aggressive opponents. After each match I took a self portrait to document. I titled the performance World Tour even though I knew that this would be the only location.
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Visit my website to see more or to read why I did it
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World Tour 1-23, 2013
Archival pigment print
8x8 inches
Edition of 3 with 1 AP
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#jamesgilbert #artist #performance #artmuseum #museum #wrestling #worldtour #art #artistarchive #archive #liveevent #contemporaryart #selfportrait #photography #concept #statement #art

A Reasonable Alternative Solution to Admire our Pr

A Reasonable Alternative Solution to Admire our Problems, wood, paint, pigmented wax, 57x17x10inches
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Drawings - 14x11 inches each, watercolor, gouache, ink, colored pencil on paper
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Loss of cultural memory happens when historical artifacts are destroyed, lost or purposely hidden. I believe that everyone should recognize importance of having something to say and search for meaning in your own voice. When objects of cultural heritage document our own ancestry are lost then our collective history fades, rewritten or lost forever.
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#jamesgilbert #sculpture #contemporaryart #figurativesculpture #art #contemporarysculpture #sculpturenow #artist #studio #color #pink #history #statue #artcollector #carving #arte #balance #artifact #heritage #memory #drawing #painting #workonpaper

I have a basic philosophy that when it gets too co

I have a basic philosophy that when it gets too complicated it’s time to simplify, sort out the challenge and keep the big picture in mind. News is complicated, social media is complicated, so is politics, money, AI, morals, inequality, feelings, it is an endless list…then I remind myself that we did this to ourselves.
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We Did this to Ourselves, 2020
Wood, stain, pigmented wax
37x28x25 inches
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#jamesgilbert #sculpture #pink #figurative #art #philosophy #lookingatart #complicated #simple

The Act of Generosity and War, 2019, wood, paint,

The Act of Generosity and War, 2019, wood, paint, stain, lacquer, pigmented wax, metal, plastic
53 x 15 x 15inches
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#sculpture #figurativeart #war #nowar #arte #woodcarving #history #ego #artistsoninstagram #news #artcollection #monument #statue #heroic #grave #lifecycle

Some we may never know, 2022 52x42 inches Watercol

Some we may never know, 2022
52x42 inches
Watercolor, gaouche, ink, colored pencil on paper
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#*art #artcollector #artcurator
#artdaily #artgallery #artistic
#artistofinstagram #artistoninstagram
#artistsoninstagram #artlovers
#artofinstagram #artoftheday
#artoninstagram #arts #artstagram #artsy
#artworks #contemporaryart #creative
#drawings #fanart #fineart
#illustrator #instaart #modernart #paint
#sketchbook #watercolor

The Great Migration and Age of Exploration, 2019 w

The Great Migration and Age of Exploration, 2019
wood, stain, paint, wax, metal
68x19x13inches
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#jamesgilbert #sculpture #statue #figurative #monument #artcollector #artgallery #artistsoninstagram #artoftheday #artsy #contemporaryart #contemporaryartcollector #contemporaryartcollectors #contemporaryartdaily #contemporaryartgallery #contemporaryartist #contemporaryarts #contemporaryartwork #contemporarypainting #creative #exhibition #figurativeart #fineart #gallery #instaart #modernart

I have been finding revealing new metaphors for my

I have been finding revealing new metaphors for myself by looking at earlier work from my archive, and have been strategically re-working parts of sculptures I considered completed several years ago. Regardless of how many likes and positive comments it received I had to make it right in my new moment. It feels there is a push for artists to constantly post new work (this should never be considered content). However, there is tremendous value in taking time to understand yourself well enough to know what you present publicly is representative of who you are. I found the title, which I had to lookup, to be even more poignant.

For the First Time I Really Saw Beyond the Appearance, 2017-2022
wood, stain, paint, wax, metal
18 × 15 x 13 inches
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#jamesgilbert #sculpture #rework #knowyourself #contemporaryart #artist #studiovisit #newwork #figurativeart

Three drawings - gouache, watercolor, ink, colored

Three drawings - gouache, watercolor, ink, colored pencil on paper, 52 x 42inches each
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I did some writing and I made some reference drawings while in the waiting room of a hospital to visit a close friend. I can’t decipher what they mean yet nor can I gauge if I crossed a privacy line but watching so many people getting wheeled on gurneys has a placement in my mind. I am fully aware that I can hold opposing thoughts in my mind at the same time - maybe that is the point. These are three drawing that I made since the initial notes and reference sketches. The way I am thinking about personal history, the modes we leave ideas between generations and the ease of misinterpretation as stories and ideas are retold to more easily fit the new narrator.

Detail - - - - - #jamesgilbert #sculpture

Detail
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#jamesgilbert #sculpture

Where I start - - - - - - #woodcarving #art #proce

Where I start
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#woodcarving #art #process #sculpture #glueup #wood #contemporaryart #artist #studiovisit