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Bio BIO In 2001, Ms. James' was commissioned by Liturgy Training Publications to create 35 images for a new reading of the Book of the Gospels, one of the most sacred books of the church. The completed book has been praised for its multicultural approach, and for it's beauty. "I feel as though we're really expanding on the Ethiopian iconic tradition," says Laura about the book. Recent exhibitions and acquisitions of Ethiopian Christian Art by major museums include the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), Smithsonian Institute (Washington, D.C.), Dusable Museum of African American History (Chicago) and the Museum for African Art (NY), and the Art Institute of Chicago, where Laura presented a lecture in conjunction with a major exhibition of their new collection of Ethiopian Art in 2003. In March 2007 The Museum of Biblical Art (MOBIA) in NYC will host the Walters Art Museum’s exceptional collection of original Ethiopian Christian Art. Laura will be presenting two workshops in conjunction with the exhibit. Laura is currently working on a series of paintings titled Nannies and Other Mothers, where she attempts to shed light on a subject long neglected by popular culture. Laura tells the stories of countless women who leave their families to come to America, UK, or Canada in search of a better life, taking jobs as domestic workers. The series will ultimately consist of twenty paintings. One of these pieces, Maypole Mother, was presented with the Valentine NY Fine Art Award in 2004. From December 2007 through February 2008, the College of New Rochelle will hang a retrospective exhibition of Ms. James’ work. Additionally, The Black Madonna exhibit organized by the College of New Rochelle’s Castle Gallery will travel to several important institutions throughout the south. Laura continues to participate in the Art Off the Main Caribbean, Latin and African Art Fair, an annual event held in NYC. Laura’s work was featured on the channel 4 morning news during the 2006 National Black Fine Art Show. In 2003 Ms James completed a major commission for the New Community Corporation Of Newark, New Jersey. The NCC was founded in 1967, and grew out of the civil disturbances and unrest in Newark's Central Ward that year. Since that time, the NCC has grown to be the largest community development corporation (CDC) in the country, providing housing for families and seniors, medical centers, schools, supermarkets and shops, and a myriad of other projects. As a unique way to commemorate their 35th Anniversary Laura created 13 paintings documenting their past, present, and future. The finished artwork has been called a stunning visual narrative, and a worthy tribute to the achievements of the organization. Laura's work is widely collected and exhibited. Ms. James' images have been published in numerous publications. Now working, and residing in the Bronx with her husband and three children, Ms. James is a member of several art organizations, including the Bridgman Art Library, the Jamaica Artist Alliance, the National Conference of Black Artists the Fulton Art Consortium, and Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA). She is very active in her community and has produced numerous cultural events, art exhibitions and film festivals. __________________________________________________ 2006 Off The Main Art Fair Puck Building, NYC NY 2005 Off The Main Art Fair Puck Building, NYC NY 2005 Gospel Dreams: The Art of Laura James __________________________________________________________ 2007 The Black Madonna, Museum of Catholic Art and History, NY 2007 National Black Fine Art Show, Puck Bldg, NY 2006 5 Women Savacou Gallery, NY 2006 National Black Fine Art Show, Puck Bldg, NY 2005 The Black Madonna ______________________________________________________ Lectures 2007 Panel Discussion Angels of Light: Ethiopian Art from the Walters Art Museum Museum of Biblical Arts MOBIA, NY 2005 The Changing Face of Liturgical Art 2006 TSO Productions, NY Caribbean Culture Mosaic 2004 Liturgy Training Publications, IL Year of Grace 2005 Calendar art Let the Children Come Unto Me The Book of the Gospels 35 color illustrations
Selected Collections Valerie Bell-Bey, Esq Collection The College Of New Rochelle Hatch-Billops Collection Liturgy Training Publications New Community Corporation Office Of Black Ministry/ Archdiocese of NY Danny Simmons Collection Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson The Schomburgh Collection Dr. Agnes Varis Collection
Selected Reviews, Articles and Publications St. Anthony Messenger Press St. Paul: Patron Saint for Laity St. Anthony Messenger Magazine, OH 6.2006 Religion Way of Sorrows to Call at New Stations The London Times, UK 4. 62007 pg 31 Nativity Church Fourteen Stations of the Cross reprinted for Good Friday Sharon Gordon Antiguan-American Painter at Art Off The Main Show, Heartbeatnews.com Oct 31, 2006 Tracey O'Shaunessy Out of Africa: Brooklyn Woman's Biblical Art, inspired by Ethiopia, now on display in New Haven Republican-American, Waterbury, CT 2.2005 pg D1 Joseph Pronechen The Art of the Gospel Violet Woodward Gospel Art Reaches to the Heavens Joan Potter Lady Madonna The Westchester County Times 2. 2005 pg16 Lucinda Breeding Brooklyn Artist Brings Biblical Exhibition to Denton Religion Artist Portrays Christianity's African Roots Adrienne Curry The Art of Laura James Chicago. Feb./March 2003 BBC (UK) On Air Magazine Detail of Crucifixion – Easter Painting Inside use. April 2002 Kazembe, Lasana Book of the Gospels, The Art of Laura James Archdiocese of Chicago, Black Catholic Chicago. Archived at Blackcatholicchicago.org. June 2001 Bayard Press (France) Feeding of the 5000 Vermeil. May 2001 Religion Unveiling the Book of the Gospels Chicago Defender. 4.28.2001, pg 31 Graham-Dixon,Andrew The Artists' View(of Christ) ________________________________________________________ Myers, David G. Exploring Psychology: Seventh Edition Pomegrante Black Art: Treasures from the Schomburg Postcard 2006 - Girl at Ghana Beach Wm. B.Eerdmans The Fate of Communion Cover art 2006 - Washing FeetSt. Anthony Messenger Sweet, Sweet Spirit: Prayer Services from the Black Press Catholic Church Cover art 2006 - Miriam Baylor University Press Singing Our Lives Cover Art. 2006 – Psalm 100 Kirjapaja Guru Interior Art. 2005 Easter Painting Wm. B. Eerdmans The Gospel For All Christians Cover Art 2004 – Christ Enthroned Running Press Quotable Women Interior Art. 2003 – Black Girl With Wings, A Woman Reading Courage Books African American Wisdom Interior Art. 2003 –Black Girl With Wings, The Chase, The Dress William H. Sadlier We Believe Interior Art. 2003 –Holy Women at Sepulcher Interior art. 2003 World Library Pubs AIM Magazine Chicago The Baptism of Jesus. Cover art. Dec.2002 Hosannah. Cover art. March 2003 The Disciples at Emmaus. Kindersley, Dorling Eyewitness Christianity Interior Art 2003 –Myers, David G. Exploring Psychology: Sixth Edition Oxford Univ. Press The Next Christendom Cover art. 2002 Crucifixion Jane Lahr Love: A Celebration in Art and Literature Stewart, Tabori, and Chang, 2001 Interior art - Couple Liturgy Training Publications The Book of the Gospels 35 color illustrations. 2001 Lysok, David A. The Bible Documents: A Parish Resource Cover Art 2001 Myers, David G. Exploring Psychology: Fifth Edition Rogerson, John, editor The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible Oxford University Press, 2001 Interior art - Jesus Walks on Water Chedd - Angier Prod. Pope Paul II Cultural Center. 2000 Video Jesus Calms the Storm & Kw'eratu Reesu ________________________________________________________ Contemporary Images, Ancient Traditions: By Donna Thompson Ray Color. One of the first impressions upon viewing the paintings of artist, Laura James, is the color: bold oranges, dynamic greens, meditative blues, and receptive yellows. Form. The conveyor of color: circular, squared, cylindrical, and triangled. Line. Designing the stages of understanding, reason, and values. Each element leads the viewer into a conversation about time, place, and experience; and linking relationships of people, events, and the natural environment. In the art of Laura James you will find transformative compositions emphasizing agency and tradition in contemporary settings. From her beginnings as a photography enthusiast, Laura James has been influenced by narrative and the lives of ordinary people. She draws inspiration from visual and cultural materials of Black history and modern art. She incorporates iconography from ancient traditions and employs sources from literature, religion, and history. James thoughtfully weaves these influences into an insightful record of personal narratives accessible to various audiences. Like many artists who are women, the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of women, occupy a significant space in her oeuvre. Laura James was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Antiguan immigrants. Her childhood centered on educational pursuits, especially religious study. She began studying art in high school. During her college years, she worked at a photography store that afforded her access to monographs of well-known fine art and documentary photographers: Henri Cartier Bresson, Roy DeCarava, Man Ray, and Dorothea Lange. While pursuing independent study in the history of photography, James exposed herself to new scholarship in Black history and culture, in particular, she studied the Rastafari Movement, an independent religion tied to pan-Africanism, and unites a common destiny for all African people through liberation struggle. Through her intense cross-disciplinary study, James recognized an innovative and accurate way of representing Black people, visually. Today, after a decade of continuous study and production, her work has evolved into two distinct bodies that she identifies as secular and religious. James's religious work is drawn largely from her study of the Bible, its parables, lessons, and stories, and Ethiopian art and history. She is fascinated by Ethiopia's history as the only Christian country in ancient Africa. That history countered her childhood religious study, which gave White missionaries credit for bringing Christianity to Africa in later centuries. During childhood, James diligently read the Bible. She memorized the poignant stories of David and Goliath, Joseph, and Daniel. In those stories, James imagined the people of the Bible as European, a reflection of the culturally predominant images of biblical figures. In Ethiopian art, history, and culture, James witnessed a reflection of Black people that would have a profound impact on her understanding of Black history and the foundations of Christianity. In the fourth century, Christianity was widely practiced in Ethiopia. The biblical Arc of the Covenant is reportedly housed in St. Mary's Church in Axum. In 1930, Ethiopia coronated Haile Selassie I as emperor. Selassie I was a descendent of a royal biblical line, King Solomon and Queen of Sheba. The ancient traditions and biblical references have distinguished Ethiopia as the "African Zion." In examining the history and culture of Ethiopia and its rulers, James became intrigued by one particular form of visual culture, Ethiopian Christian Art. Drawn from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Christian Art is the pictorial art of Ethiopian history and culture. The art dates back to the early 14th century. Produced with great detail and splendid colors and form, religious lay men were commissioned by the church to copy scrolls, also known as Magic Scrolls for their healing powers, and other forms of Ethiopian Christian Art (illuminated manuscripts, crosses, and panel paintings). In Ethiopian Christian Art, James, for the first time in the history of her religious study, witnessed popular images of Christian iconography that included majestic representations of Black people. Modeled from Ethiopian Christian Art and her deepening faith, a number of James's early works focused on the theme of guardian angels. In Names of Angels 2002, James paints the progressive colors of African liberation struggle: red, green, and gold. With swirling text identifying the names of angels, James suggests the myriad of celestial energies that help guide our daily life. These are angels that are documented in sacred texts as well as those ancestors forever bound in our hearts and memories. Each angel radiates its own unique qualities -- from the texture of their hair to the shape of their eyes and skin complexion. The eyes are particularly mystifying. They serve as the doorway to the spirit. "[Laura] has different types of guardian angels," says one collector. "Her early work with angels was unrefined. Her style has evolved into a simpler representation. It makes the work more interesting." After producing a number of angel paintings, James went on to paint such well-known biblical stories and figures such as the Last Supper, Noah, the Tower of Babel, Ruth, Mary and Jesus, and the Last Judgement. "Laura James has developed a signature style," notes Danny Simmons, artist, philanthroper, and founder of Rush Art Gallery and Corridor Gallery in New York City. "There is beauty in her brush strokes. [And] how she handles form…the abstraction of water and fish…is unusual." Simmons, a collector of James's religious work such as Jesus Walks on Water (1998), identifies the transformative role of James's work. "Jesus and the Apostles are black. [They] are people of color. The prevalent images of [Christian] religion do not reflect that." "She is traditional, modern, and contemporary." To be sure, James's adaptation of Christian narratives and Ethiopian Christian iconography does not end in her religious art production. In 1997, James began a series of paintings featuring women as angels. Historically, angels are seen as messengers of judgement and spiritual guidance. The first painting in this series, Black Girl With Wings, has become one of her more popular pieces. In this and other works like Brooklyn Angels (1998) and Guardian Angel (1998), James employs the symbolism of Christian art to a contemporary setting. Brooklyn Angels shows a golden winged woman in a floral dress on the rooftop of a residential building. Groups of pigeons surround her while she glances over the ledge. She sits, waiting, perhaps for other birds to collect around her. Dimmed by misty gray skies with transparent clouds and birds in flight, Brooklyn Angels suggest a hurried anticipation for events occurring in the spiritual realm. The transcendental nature of James's composition links her work to modern art movements such as Surrealism, art drawn heavily from the unconscious state -- dreams and fantasies. Among other interests, Surrealists celebrated the naïve, primitive work of untrained artists functioning outside of mainstream Western culture. Women artists such as Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) and Leonor Fini (1908-1996) are identified or exhibited with Surrealists, although they were not official members of the group. Yet the Surrealists were the most progressive avant-garde artist group to embrace the social and artistic contributions of women. James demonstrates elements of Surrealist symbolism in works such as Maypole Mother (2001) and The Sitter (2001). Both paintings present a woman sitting, waiting, a common theme in James's work. The images include children or duties of motherhood such as knitting. However, the main figure is also characterized in a conflicting position. Cast in a spider's web or with a rope tied around her neck, these images symbolize the burden of restricted roles for women. The notion of escape is symbolized by cotton ball clouds and birds gliding through bright sun-lit skies. "This is one of the more creative pieces produced by Laura," says an avid collector. "The colors are unusual [Maypole Mother]…they glow and play on each other." "I appreciate every element." Other works such as The Party (2002) and Sleep and Dream (1998) show similar representations of women and children, and the relationship of the natural environment to physical and psychological space. James's representation of women's bodies offers another accessible discussion on women's roles and responsibilities. Similar to painter Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), James paints the female form in earth tones, deep colors, and broad lines, drawn from non-Western traditions and ethnographic studies. Her women are full-breasted, of solid build, spirited, and sexual. Identified within biblical or contemporary narratives, James's women are leaders in the home, workplace, and community. Their activities extend beyond those usually associated with women of a particular experience: they fly, lay on beaches, swing, and entertain. In leisure time scenes, romantic encounters, and portraits, James depicts her feminine subjects in the world in which she and other women like her live. Her attention to the many frames of a woman's life are likened to artists Leonor Fini and Faith Ringgold (1930-). Fini focused much of her work on sexual distinctions and opposites. Active from the 1920s through 1990s, Fini made an effort to move away from traditional representations of women i.e. women as symbolic of nature (caregiver, nurturer). She demanded a more accurate description of women and their place in society, showcasing their various life experiences and contributions. Her work sought to minimize the differences between the sexes. To be sure, James's women - who are often seen in the natural environment - are only partially defined by their immediate circumstance. Their roles transcend the sphere of nature to embrace a resolute and confident feminine existence; fearless heroines able to overcome physical and psychological obstacles such as Faith Ringgold's liberated women artist from The French Collection (1990-1997), Willia Marie Simone, and her daughter, Marlena, from The American Collection (1996-2000). Willia Marie and Marlena represent women struggling with an oppressive legacy rooted in race and gender bias. Yet they are triumphant in transforming circumstances and events to reflect their own dreams and point of view. That form of confidence and self-actualization is represented in James's portrayal of female sexuality. Water symbolizes fertility, healing, and creativity in James's Woman in Water 2001. James suspends a bather in a body of water awaiting the arrival of her lover. She is painstakingly reflective, posed in a cave-like surrounding with moon light touching the water's surface. Her bathing suit in fluorescent white matches her eyes. Her youthful breasts and arms rest on the water anticipating the arrival of her lover. Like other portraits, Woman in Water captures a potentially melancholy experience with the promise of renewed strength and faith. In Minerva (1991) James capitalizes on the idea of faith and the belief in self. Minerva presents a robust female figure exchanging eye contact with her viewer, as in the famous gaze of Manet's Olympia. She is dressed in a yellow and red stripe dress with a red handkerchief on her head. Her skin tone is dark chocolate. Surrounded by bright colors and geometric forms, her portrait recalls the work of artists such as William H. Johnson (1901-1970), Romare Bearden (1911-1988), and Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000). Her torso dominates the picture frame. She sits with legs wide open, save for her arm covering her crotch; her elongated breasts outlined by the stripes in her dress. Her toes and hands are wide matching the contours of her calves and arms and suggesting a life of hard labor. She sits staring at her viewer in a fearless manner awaiting criticism or invitation. Like many women of her generation, she has weathered the difficulties of abusive and loveless relationships. Her security rests in her own ability to protect her body, mind, and spirit. Like many of the intimate portraits and epic narratives explored in her work, James is interested in evoking dialogue with her audience. She likes to see her work in public spaces and glean new insights from viewer's reactions. In recent years, James has received commissions for a series of paintings that have brought her work to new audiences. In 2000-2001, James was commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church to illustrate the Book of the Gospels, those chapters of the bible narrated by four apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Published in the United States by Liturgy Training Publications, the Book of the Gospels is read every Sunday and is known for its rich illustrations. James's contribution to the new U.S. edition demonstrates the Roman Catholic Church's commitment to engage communities of color. The new edition also marks a change in the traditional style of painting used to illustrate these pivotal narratives from the Bible. An outgrowth of that publication has afforded James calendar images based on the Book of the Gospels; national solo exhibitions; and noted accolades and testimonials within the Roman Catholic Church and other religious denominations. In 2002-2003, James received a commission from the Newark Community Corporation (NCC) to construct a series of paintings commemorating the corporation's 35th anniversary. Established in 1967, NCC is one of the largest community development corporations in the nation. The series looks at Newark's development since the '67 riots. Housing, education and youth, arts and culture, health, and political activism are depicted in a series of 13 paintings. James's commitment to progressive politics and social uplift is shown in her detailed images of Newark residents and community leaders. In a kaleidoscope of dynamic colors, round forms, and pensive eyes, each figure possesses a key role in the painting's composition. "You have to peel through layers of conversation, layers of narratives in Laura's work," says Marilyn Hawthorne, James's manager. "There is great detail even in the background. She portrays the ordinary in a new light." Through commissions, solo and group exhibitions (MOCADA, Union Theological Seminary, Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, NYC) publications (Dorling Kingsley's Eyewitness Christianity and Oxford University Press's Illustrated History of the Bible) and public lectures (Art Institute of Chicago) James has created a body of work that has universal appeal and sustainability. Her work is featured in private and public art collections, most notably Reverend Calvin Butts of Abysinnian Baptist Church; the Hatch-Billops Collection and The Bridgeman Art Library.
Donna Thompson Ray is an independent writer and lecturer on American art and photography, specializing in art of the African diaspora. She is the co-director of Education at the American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning (CUNY). ________________________________________________________ 'Gospel' Art Reaches
to the Heavens Published Friday, January 28, 2005 "At home we -- had a big book of Bible stories, where everyone was a yellow ochre color," she said. "Servants were always a kind of grey color and strangely apelike."But each of the 38 paintings comprising her "Gospel Dreams" collection is far removed from that inhuman chromatic aesthetic. The artworks, which will grace the walls of the Yale Institute of Sacred Music until Feb. 28, pop with vibrant hues and rich shades. Many of the paintings in "Gospel Dreams" were commissioned by Chicago-based Liturgy Training Publications for a new, illustrated reading of the Gospels. The expressive faces of her painted figures and James' placement of Biblical text on some of the works have an arresting effect over Institute pedestrians. All insure that the exhibit has received substantial traffic in the less than five days since it has been open. But while the appearance of her paintings in a book and in an exhibit increased James' exposure, the assignment reduced one crucial aspect of the project -- time. "Because the book was already well underway when I signed on, I had to paint 25 paintings [out of the 34 that appeared in the publication] in four months," James said. For each scene James was to depict for the book, the artist consulted not just the primary text submitted by her editors but also versions of the story from the Schofield Reference version of the King James Bible and the Contemporary English version. James also turned to books about religious art and consulted treatments of the subject by different painters in order to glean the overarching, enduring elements of a scene. Along the way, her editors critiqued the intermediate sketches. While James counts the Ethiopian religious artistic tradition as among her greatest influences and gives many of her painted subjects Ethiopian features, Liturgy Training Publications wanted more diversity for the book illustrations. "They particularly asked that I include more Caucasian people, old people, children and women," she said. Though Liturgy, an emissary of the Roman Catholic Church, commissioned the work, James says it can be found in the pews of several other denominations' churches as well. She cites the edition's easy-to-understand language and lack of stridently Catholic overtones for its universal appeal. Liturgy's published "Book of the Gospels" is on display at the exhibit in a glass case, which also contains pamphlets about James's other works. Additionally, nine of the "Gospel Dreams" paintings are for sale, and some of the works are on loan from their current owners. James said she felt gratified by the unusual nature of the show. "I don't have many exhibits with nearly 40 paintings. I really love to see so many of them together," she said. "I like to see a big exhibit." And while the subject matter of the paintings is undeniably religious, the artist hopes viewers unfamiliar with the Biblical stories will still be interested. Inspired by the Ethiopians' predilection for picture-laden manuscripts, James includes many handwritten words in her tableaux. The nature of the writing varies -- from "Names of Angels," on which heavenly beings float against a field of black-inked angel names (from Adnachiel to Zaphiel) to "Kingdom of Heaven Parables," in which long, descriptive passages are written on painted scrolls that form a part of the visual narrative. But the artist believes these verbal interpolations serve to clarify the message of the painting and even pique the interest of the viewer unfamiliar with the story depicted. "The paintings tell a Biblical or religious story that has meaning.
Someone might be able to look at it and know that, but it also has words
so that people can read it," she said. "It adds clarity to
what I've painted. There's a story there that's accessible."
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