Some Art I Liked: Five Minutes on James Chronister

James Chronister: Summer Spell, 2023

(Above: Summer Spell, 2023, James Chronister, oil on linen, 60 x 42 in) Click to enlarge.

TL;DR:

• A-Ha Moment: These photorealistic works are painstakingly crafted by hand from painted dots and marks.

• Artist Status: James is an emerging artist with regional recognition (but slowly expanding nationwide).

• Price: His paintings start around $10,000 and up, depending on size.

• Where else can I see his work? He has a new solo exhibition currently open at Nino Mier Gallery (Los Angeles).

James Chronister was born in 1978 in Helena, Montana. He studied at the University of Montana, Missoula, in 2001 (BFA) and the California College of the Arts, San Francisco, in 2004 (MFA). He currently lives in Missoula, Montana.

His Style

James’ works are unique in its modern interpretation of landscape paintings. He begins by taking a photograph of a place of interest—usually the woods around his residence—and then manipulates the photo’s sharpness and tone to create a stark portrait. James then uses an ultrafine brush and black paint to create small marks that build up to become photorealistic paintings.

(Above: Summer Spell up close) Click to enlarge.

The closer view of Summer Spell makes you think you are looking at an abstract piece. Only when you stand at a distance do you notice the complexity and the overall landscape. In interviews, James has explained that each work is a practice in extreme concentration: a medium-sized painting takes him about a month to complete.

(Above: Dressed in Dreams, 2022-23, James Chronister, oil on linen, 42 x 30 in) Click to enlarge.

Contemporary Context

James’ work is a modern interpretation of pointillism, the practice of applying small strokes or dots that blend to make a picture from a distance. The most popular practitioner of pointillism is French post-Impressionist artist Georges Seurat. Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte is the best example of how small complementary colored dots of color can create patterns and visuals for the viewer.

(Above: A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, 1884, George Seurat, oil on canvas, 81 x 121 in) Click to enlarge.

What makes James’ work unique is that he works with an extreme color palette: black and white. The fact that he can construct such lush worlds using only black ink and the white space make you appreciate his technical mastery. The photorealism and the additional dimension of the black and white tone contributes to a feeling of familiarity with these landscapes. We could place these woodlands anywhere, or even any time period.

Another unique technical aspect unique in James’ work is the mastery of picture depth. Every square inch is drawn in full focus, and you can feel the fullness of the bushes and the branches. At first glance, the works seem modest. But the viewer is delighted to discover the incredible detail, and ends up studying and admiring the piece as a result. It's the kind of art that fans of abstract and figurative painting can both enjoy.

Impact

James has been in solo and group exhibitions in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bozeman (MT). His work has been acquired by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (CA); ; San Francisco International Airport (CA); Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (CA); and the Morgan Stanley Art Collection (NY).

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