James Roper

LAMINATE 4 "Most Wanted" Signed and Sealed

2011-11-24T12:19:00.000Z

'Exvoluta Rush' GelaSkin available for pre-order and receive the Limited edition Most Wanted Print.

laminate.bigcartel.com/product/laminate-4-most-wanted

tkyo.co.uk/issue4.html

Precursor: The Creativity Watchlist

2011-10-21T15:30:00.000+01:00

Work featured in Precursor: The Creativity Watchlist.

"The creative visions of design’s forerunners currently play with colors and patterns as well as with elements of realism, surrealism, op art, and tribal art. Precursor presents this strikingly interdisciplinary work that exists beyond the latest trends and retro looks and whose only obligation is to innovate.

This book is a trailblazing collection of recent work by a new breed of young designers from around the world complemented by insightful texts. Although stylistically diverse, the examples documented in Precursor are all created with a distinctly multidisciplinary approach that is enriching and expanding established categories of design."

shop.gestalten.com/precursor

'Let's make a sandwich' print

2011-10-10T10:32:00.000+01:00

'Let's make a sandwich'

Signed and numbered Giclée print on 260gsm archival paper. Limited edition of 20.

Available here: jamesroper.bigcartel.com

I Want My Music Video Art Show

2011-09-27T11:53:00.000+01:00

'I Want My Music Video Art Show'

Curated by music video director Chris Marrs Piliero and artist Dave MacDowell

OVER 100 ARTISTS CELEBRATE THE ART OF MUSIC VIDEOS

October 7th - 20th at:

Meltdown Gallery
7522 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles
CA 90046

(Click here to view map)

Opening: October 7th, 8pm - Midnight

www.iwantmymusicvideoartshow.com

Rapture series prints

2011-08-22T14:50:00.000+01:00

Four pieces from the Rapture series are now available as prints exclusively from inPRNT: www.inprnt.com/gallery/james_roper/

These are gallery-quality giclée prints on 100% cotton rag archival paper, printed with archival inks.

Limited edition of 100. Each print is 18 x 12 inches (1 inch border). $30 each.

Suggestivism catalogue

2011-08-18T13:01:00.000+01:00

The companion catalogue for the 'Suggestivism' group show at Grand Central Art Center is now available, featuring images from the show and artist interviews.

www.gingkopress.com

LBD commission

2011-08-10T14:11:00.000+01:00

http://www.littleblackdress.co.uk/the-lbd-relaunch/

Papercraft 2: Design and Art with Paper

2011-04-16T09:46:00.003+01:00

My origami sculpture 'Devotion' appears in Papercraft 2: Design and Art with Paper

'All and Nothing' (solo show) at Joshua Liner Gallery, New York

2011-04-04T12:22:00.008+01:00

Joshua Liner Gallery is pleased to announce an upcoming exhibition with UK based artist James Roper. This will be Roper's first solo exhibition with Joshua Liner Gallery as well as Roper's solo debut in New York. 'All and Nothing' (Gallery II) will consist of new acrylic on canvas paintings and several new works on paper. Among the acrylic on canvas paintings is Roper's newest series of works entitled 'Exvoluta'. The "characters" depicted in this series embody diety-like forms influenced by the imagery of Hindu gods, Christian saints, and comic-book Superheroes, all rendered in glorious material excess beyond the reach of the natural. The opening reception will also be on Thursday, April 14th from 6 - 9pm.

Please contact the gallery for additional information.

Joshua Liner Gallery
548 W 28th St. 3rd Floor
New York, New York 10001
212-244-7415
joshualinergallery.com

Suggestivism at Grand Central Art Center

2011-01-27T11:40:00.004Z

‘Suggestivism’

A group exhibition curated by Nathan Spoor
February 5 – April 17th @ The Grand Central Art Center at Cal State Fullerton

Cal State University’s cutting-edge museum arm, Grand Central Art Center, and Nathan Spoor have teamed up to present ‘Suggestivism’ – a comprehensive survey that explores and documents a select section of modern contemporary artists which make up the vibrant core of creativity existing in the current art world.

Conceptually speaking, the term “suggestivism” refers to the ability of an individual to pursue their purpose with an amplified understanding and sensitivity. The artists involved represent precisely this – a wave of purpose, working within the more fluid aspects of narrative or figurative arenas. Through the mere power of suggestion, the magic is transferred from one to another, engaging the world at large from the most vivid and evocative of visual realms.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a grand print / book piece that includes the artwork in the exhibition, as well as a fascinating time capsule of studio shots and compelling interviews conducted by Spoor with each artist during the three-year curating period (2008 – 2011)

Opening Reception: Sat, Feb. 5th 7-10PM

Grand Central Art Center
125 N. Broadway in Santa Ana / 714.567.7233
www.grandcentralartcenter.com

MTV + 55dsl Ident and T-shirt

2010-11-08T14:25:00.005Z

"MTV Networks International (MTVNI) and leading streetwear label 55DSL announced today the launch of their first-ever creative collaboration, set to culminate in five brand new MTV on-air idents and six bespoke t-shirt designs.

Due to launch across MTV’s international network of 63 channels from 8 November 2010, the idents constitute the third phase of MTV’s POP x 1000% international refresh, first rolled-out in July 2009, and progress from expressing human emotions to exploring the senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste – with the added twist of 55DSL’s intriguing 5.5th sense, the less-explored human sense of intuition, featured on the sixth t-shirt.

In identifying the cream of design talent from across the world, MTV and 55DSL have engaged the talents of international artists Alex Trochut (touch), Ilovedust (sight), James Roper (hearing), Tei (smell), Yué Wu (taste), and Zeloot (intuition), to each create a t-shirt design inspired by one of the human senses. Each of the t-shirts features a unique graphic and has been created using an innovative method chosen by its designer to represent the sense in their own individual, tongue-in-cheek way.

Taking the creative process one step further, each artist was paired with a motion design studio – selected from some of the world’s most innovative and cutting edge studios – including Universal Everything, Physalia and Digital District, to turn the original artworks into five unique 30-second short films, each informed by one of the senses. The result is a truly international collection, reflecting the commitment of both MTV and 55DSL to innovation, creation and imagination across all media platforms."

The 55DSL x MTV 5.5 Senses collection will be available from 55DSL stores and selected retailers worldwide from mid December.

SugiPOP! at Portsmouth Museum of Art

2010-10-02T23:57:00.008+01:00

The Portsmouth Museum of Art and LeBasse Projects present:

‘SugiPOP!: The Influence of Anime and Manga on Contemporary Art’

October 13th 2010 – January 16th 2011
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 14th 2010

‘SugiPOP!: The Influence of Anime and Manga on Contemporary Art’ opens on October 13th at the Portsmouth Museum of Art, Portsmouth, NH, USA. The show is a collaborative effort, co-curated by Beau Basse of LeBasse Projects in Los Angeles and Katherine Doyle of the Portsmouth Museum of Art. It features the work of approximately 30 artists tracing the originations of manga, the rise of Japanese Contemporary Art and into how the art forms have influenced artists around the world.

Sugi, the Japanese word for ‘too much,’ represents the extreme characteristics of Japanese manga and anime, which have merged with the American phenomenon of Pop, to become SugiPOP - a blend of Japanese and American contemporary art shaped and defined by over-the-top pop.

The exhibition features an international roster of artists including Japanese masters Hokusai and Kuniyoshi in a display of original Edo period woodblock prints. The exhibit also features Japanese Contemporary artists Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Yoshitaka Amano, Mr., Ai Yamaguchi, Junko Mizuno and Hisashi Tenmyouya. International artists contributing to the exhibit include KAWS, Gary Baseman, Simone Legno, Natalia Fabia, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Yumiko Kayukawa, Seonna Hong, Hush, Morgan Slade, Edwin Ushiro, Luke Chueh, Andrew Hem, Mike Shinoda, SharkToof, Yoskay Yamamoto and more. Finally the exhibition includes original cels from some of the most significant anime films ever made, including Cowboy Bebop and Princess Mononoke.

The Portsmouth Museum of Art is located at One Harbour Place in downtown Portsmouth. Admission is free. Hours of operation for the Portsmouth Museum of Art are Wednesday-Sunday, 11:00-5:00, Fridays until 8:00; it is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Guided group tours are available by appointment by contacting the museum at 603-436-0332 or by email at info@portsmouthmfa.org

SUPERUNKNOWN at Edel Assanti

2010-09-27T12:37:00.002+01:00

Superunknown
Curated by Andy Wicks & David Northedge

Artists
David Small, Ed Payne, Gordon Cheung, Graham McNamara, James Roper, Matthew Atkinson, Michael Ashcroft, Rob Sherwood, Rosalie Wiesner, Sayshun Jay.

Private View
Wednesday 6th October 7 - 9pm

Exhibition Dates
Thursday 7th October - Saturday 13th November

Gallery Hours
Wednesday - Saturday 12pm - 6pm or by appointment

Address - Edel Assanti, 276 Vauxhall Bridge Road, Victoria, London, SW1V 1BB

Edel Assanti is proud to present Superunknown, an exhibition curated by Andy Wicks and David Northedge.

Literature and Hollywood have long been creating dark and empty visions of near future societies in decline. In the present day, materials addressing this subject matter have once again found their way onto reading lists and cinema screens, forming a focal point for contemporary popular culture.

Projections of our universal future are often delivered in cautionary tones and serve as warning of how to avoid the total decimation of society. Notional futures of grim decaying interiors and bleak grey landscapes populated by savage inhabitants are the cultural benchmark for a morbid moribund world limping towards apocalypse.

Superunknown is a group show of twelve artists who produce work that addresses a future full of dreams, illusions and fantasies, celebrating the neglected virtues of the glossy, lurid and bizarre. The combined works on show articulate a hallucinatory collective vision of a future in which illicit vices serve as the connective tissues for a population wheeling recklessly onwards with a stoic apathy toward redemption and self-preservation.

This group show is formed predominately of painters whose work share a common aesthetic of semi abstraction and contemporary landscape. The exhibition also features photography, video, sculpture and installation based works.

http://edelassanti.com/exhibitiondetails.php?ID=90

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=147677701934841

‎'Outside' shortlisted for the Vimeo awards

2010-09-11T15:26:00.008+01:00

'Outside' has been shortlisted in the Top 20 Experimental category of the Vimeo awards 2010.

"After reviewing over 6500 submissions from thousands of artists and filmmakers across 80 countries, we have selected the top 20 from each category that the Vimeo Awards judges are now reviewing.

The Top 5 Finalists for each category will be announced September 21st and winners will be honored at the Vimeo Awards Show on October 9th."

http://vimeo.com/awards/shortlist

CHAOSMOS II at View Two Gallery

2010-09-05T01:14:00.006+01:00

CHAOSMOS II Contemporary Art Exhibition Programme

Chaosmos is an arts initiative that aims to research and develop the production of an array of mixed media artwork, animations, video and live art. It is curated by Chris Boyd, the Lead Artist, and platforms a collection of international and renowned art in a unique exhibition that investigates turbulent visual planes within the conceptual framework of Chaosmos (a Joycean coinage).

The exhibition attempts to map meta-physical states, track intermittent interference whilst revealing a preoccupation with the creative process, pictorial puzzles and the integration of traditional artist techniques with current post production methods.

Curator: Chris Boyd (Lead Artist)

Artists: Chris Boyd; Megan Chapman; Gordon Cheung; Peter Eramian; C. James Fagan; Steven Heaton; Maggie Lambert; Lady Lillith Leveigh; Zan Lyons; Ashleigh Nankivell; David Ogle; Jonas Pihl; James Roper; Masahiro Tomioka; Jane Ward; Boris Zakic and others.

Writers: Peter Eramian; Penny Goring; Kenji Siratori; Sam Skinner; Suzie Saw and others.

Chaosmos 2010 (Independents Liverpool Biennial 2010):

View Two Gallery, 23 Mathew Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK.

w: http://www.viewtwogallery.co.uk

Gallery open times: Thursday – Friday 12.00 pm – 4.00 pm, Saturday 12.00 pm – 5.00 pm.

Viewing can be arranged by appointment for Sunday – Wednesday by contacting the Curator.

Exhibition: Tuesday 07 September 2010 – Saturday 02 October 2010

Private View:

Tuesday 07 September 2010, 6.00 pm - 9.00 pm.

VJ Performances / Screenings: (TBC)

Thursday 09 September 2010, 7.30 pm – 10.30 pm.

Thursday 16 September 2010, 7.30 pm - 10.30 pm.

Friday 17 September 2010, 7.30 pm - 10.30 pm.

Artist Talks (in association with Culture Pool):

Saturday 18 September 2010, 1.00 pm - 3.00 pm.

Contact:

Chris Boyd (Curator / Lead Artist)

E-mail: boydism@hotmail.com

Mobile: +44(0)77 919 52 113

Website: www.qboyd.com

Blog: www.chrisboydism.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Chris.Boyd.Contemporary.Artist

Youtube: www.youtube.com/boydism08

'Outside' available to watch online

2010-08-11T14:00:00.009+01:00

In 2008 I co-wrote a short film with Thomas Wightman and Rob Bailey which went on to receive funding from Northwest Vision and Media's Virgin Shorts 2008 competition. 'Outside' was shot over four consecutive days in locations around the North of England on a budget of £2,500. The short was directed by Wightman with production design by myself and Bailey.

'Outside' explores ideas about how advancement in technology has effected the way we communicate and how as a result it may impact our environment. It is now available to watch online:

http://vimeo.com/12674633

Summer Group Exhibition at Joshua Liner Gallery

2010-08-11T10:58:00.004+01:00

Summer Group Exhibition

14th August to 2nd September, 2010

Private view: Saturday 14th August, 6-9pm

Joshua Liner Gallery
548 W. 28th Street
3rd Floor
New York NY 10001
212.244.7415

joshualinergallery.com

'Outside' screening at MIS in São Paulo

2010-07-27T17:05:00.005+01:00

'Outside' will be showing as part of the NOVA art event in São Paulo, Brazil at MIS on Saturday July 31st at 18.30

www.jroper.co.uk/film/outside

www.rojo-nova.com

MIS Museu da Imagem e do Som
Avenida Europa, 158, Jardim Europa
01449-000 São Paulo, SP Brasil.
+55 11 2117 4777
www.mis-sp.org.br

Lamono magazine #65

2010-07-13T11:52:00.005+01:00

Interview and work featured in Lamono #65

www.lamonodigital.net

Hi-Fructose Magazine Vol.16.

2010-07-11T14:33:00.003+01:00

Interview and work featured in Hi-Fructose Vol.16 - Out in July

www.hifructose.com

Art on the Edge: The New Contemporary

2010-07-11T12:46:00.004+01:00

Art on the Edge: The New Contemporary (group show)

Wednesday, July 7th – Tuesday, July 27th

Vered gallery
68 Park Place
East Hampton
NY 11937-2407

www.veredart.com

New work

2010-05-21T13:11:00.007+01:00

New paintings and drawings on my website, including seven new Rapture pieces.

'Paroxysm' (solo show) at ®artspace Barcelona

2010-05-15T18:54:00.004+01:00

Paroxysm (solo show): 18.05.2010 - 17.06.2010

®artspace Barcelona
Carrer Girona 61 Local 02,
Eixample. 08009 Barcelona. Spain.
+34 934 673 598

www.rojo-magazine.com/bcn

"By constructing abstract bodies formed from multiple elements these works mimic the complex bodily structures found within nature. Biological machines such as the human body process and retain energy and any processes placed under restraint will result in an intensification of it's eventual release. The work attempts to portray this intermediate state as control gives way to chaotic abandon and a transition occurs from one state to the next. Roper is heavily influenced by the excessive and sensuously rich imagery of Baroque art and it's depiction of the unfettering of religious restraint. Instead of the gentle ushering of the spirit towards the heavens his paintings spit, ejaculate, regurgitate and projectile vomit the spirit out, rejecting it's bodily form in a fit of maniacal hysterics, a nonsensical reflexive outburst like the spasmodic speaking in tongues of those 'slain in the spirit'."

Fovea centralis

2010-04-29T14:28:00.009+01:00

Searching for images across the Internet is an integral part of my work. As a result I have seen thousands upon thousands of images. I will be using my new blog 'Fovea centralis' to share with you the library of images I have collected over the years.

Fovea centralis

New Hypermass prints

2010-04-23T17:01:00.008+01:00

'Inhibitor' and 'Standpoint Conversion' are now available as prints at: www.inprnt.com

Gallery-quality giclée prints on 100% cotton rag archival paper, printed with archival inks. Limited edition of 100.

Inhibitor

Standpoint Conversion

'Outside'

2010-04-20T14:28:00.004+01:00

In February 2009 'Outside' was shot, a short film I had co-written and worked on the production design for, and after a long period of post-production is now complete. The short will recieve it's first screening at Cannes Film Festival 2010. I will update soon about further screenings and website launch.

Computer Arts: issue 174

2010-04-09T00:11:00.004+01:00

www.computerarts.co.uk

Caged Bird Sings

2010-04-07T18:40:00.004+01:00

Caged Bird Sings (group show): 15th - 20th April

Crypt Gallery
Saint Pancras Church
Euston Road
London
NW1 2BA

Bare/not Projects present Caged Bird Sings, an exhibition in the atmospheric Crypt Gallery in St Pancras.

We have fifteen artists participating: James Roper, Klarita Pandolfi, Dorothy Yoon, Jo Young, Paul Dawes, Daisy McMullan, Luigi Menichelli, Taciana Coimbra, Antonio Pagani, Tom Lovelace, Reme Campos, Brixton Punk (Andrew Graves Johnston), Stella O and Kika Nicolela

Our opening night is on 15th April, there will be free drinks and a DJ in the Crypt.

For more info visit: barenot.wordpress.com

www.cryptgallery.org.uk

'Mirabilia' at ®artspace Milano

2010-03-06T13:49:00.003Z

Mirabilia (group show): 11th March - 11th April 2010

®artspace Milano
Via Tortona 17-19. 20144
Milano, Italy
+ 39 02 894 230 87

www.rojo-milano.com

"To celebrate its second anniversary, ROJO®artspace Milano presents a group exhibition emblematically titled "Mirabilia". It brings togheter over 50 artists for a transversal overview of international contemporary creativity through painting, graphics, illustration, photography, sculpture, video, installation and visual poetry."

Joshua Liner Gallery @ SCOPE Miami

2009-11-29T18:48:00.002Z

'Hypermass' at ®artspace Milano

2009-11-15T15:52:00.007Z

Hypermass (solo show): 19 November 09 - 20 December 09

®artspace Milano
Via Tortona 17-19. 20144
Milano, Italy
+ 39 02 894 230 87

www.rojo-milano.com

"James Roper's work explores a variety of subjects from the heightened realities depicted in Baroque art and modern media to the restraint and release of energy found within complex structures such as the human body. In his first solo show in Italy, James Roper presents a new series Hypermass, where the compositions are constructed using images specifically appropriated from japanese animation (anime). Forms such as hair or body structure are highly caricatured in anime resulting in a visual style that can be read adversely as either an intensification of concrete reality or an evasion into escapist fantasy."

Natural Wonders

2009-11-10T23:28:00.010Z

"LeBasse Projects warmly welcomes Jeremy Asher Lynch, James Roper and Kevin E. Taylor to the gallery for a three person show of new work. Though very different in their approach all three artists bring us their outlook on the changing environment and world around us.

UK based James Roper's work explores a variety of subjects including the restraint and release of energy found within complex structures such as the human body. Florida native Jeremy Asher Lynch's mixed media works often juxtapose both illustrative and abstract techniques while creating beautiful paintings which often carry a darker subtext. Kevin E. Taylor comes to the gallery from San Francisco where he has been working on a series of paintings that force the viewer to re-examine the relationship between man and the natural world around him."

'Natural Wonders'
Jeremy Lynch, Kevin E. Taylor, James Roper
Friday, November 13th, 7-10pm

www.lebasseprojects.com

For more info or preview, please contact the gallery at:
contact@lebasseprojects.com or 310.558.0200

Quinquennium Exhibitum

2009-11-02T12:46:00.004Z

I will be showing new work in Nucleus gallery's 5 Year Anniversary Exhibition. November 7 - 30, 2009
Opening Reception: Nov 7, 7:00pm - 11:00pm

Nucleus
210, East Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801
www.gallerynucleus.com

www.gallerynucleus.com/artist/james_roper

Beyond Eden Art Fair

2009-10-01T20:56:00.007+01:00

LeBasse Projects will be showing four new pieces in the Rapture series at the Beyond Eden Art Fair, a multi-gallery event celebrating the new contemporary art scene in Los Angeles. Beyond Eden will showcase the works of over 15 galleries and will be held inside the beautiful confines of the historic Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery during the weekend of October 9th, 10th and 11th, with an opening night celebration planned for Saturday, October 10th.

www.beyondedenartfair.com

www.lebasseprojects.com

Previous Rapture pieces are still available via www.rojo-magazine.com/artstore

The Book of Inspiration

2009-09-02T15:55:00.003+01:00

The Book of Inspiration is a new luxury volume from the makers of Computer Arts magazine, featuring 192 pages of the world’s very best digital art, design and illustration.

It comes with a die-cut, foil-blocked and embossed cover, and features works from the likes of James Jean, Non-Format, Neville Brody, Airside, Hort, Vault49, Serial Cut, Jasper Goodall, Deanne Cheuk and many more.

As well as a huge showcase section of up and coming talent, it features interviews with the likes of Justin Maller, Trevor Jackson, Marian Bantjes and Jonathan Barnbrook – all displayed on in sumptuous art stock paper.

It’s on sale now for £14.99, and available at WH Smiths, Borders, Barnes & Noble and other good stockists.

Joshua Liner group show

2009-08-06T17:17:00.007+01:00

I will be showing work at the Joshua Liner Gallery in the Summer Group Exhibition, August 15th - September 5th.

Private view: Saturday 15th August, 6-9pm

Joshua Liner Gallery
548 W. 28th Street
3rd Floor
New York NY 10001
212.244.7415
joshualinergallery.com

Old news

2009-08-06T16:57:00.007+01:00

This happened a while before I set this blog up but I thought it deserved a belated post. Kanye West wearing my Fallout t-shirt whilst in London. It also meant I'd been 'shown' along side (or behind) one of my favourite artists Takashi Murakami (that bling round his neck was designed by him)

All three t-shirts Fallout, Reflex and Saccade are available at the Tank Theory website

Culver City Artwalk

2009-05-28T10:03:00.005+01:00

I will have work on show at LeBasse Projects for the Culver City Artwalk.

Saturday, May 30th 2009, Noon - 8pm.

www.lebasseprojects.com

PRESS RELEASE

Curbs and Stoops interview

2009-04-29T09:28:00.007+01:00

Click hear see

Autosarcophagy (The host within the host)

2009-04-18T18:20:00.005+01:00

acrylic on canvas - 120cm x 100cm - 2009

Interview in I.T Post magazine

2009-04-08T11:44:00.006+01:00

www.ithk.com

Hi-Fructose interview

2009-03-26T00:10:00.007Z

www.hifructose.com

Interview by Nathan Spoor

OCHO group show

2009-02-28T10:27:00.007Z

In the first collaboration project between nine member galleries of the ®artspace global network more than 140 artists will be showing in nine group shows in nine different cities around the world: ®Barcelona, ®Milano, POP Sao Paulo, ClubBlast Rosario, Concrete Hermit London, We Love Asbaek Copenhagen, Inoperable Vienna, Carmichael Los Angeles & Subaquatica Madrid.

ROJO® is also publishing a limited edition ROJO® issue featuring works by a selection of artists showing in the global group show.

I will be showing pieces from the Rapture series in the following shows:
®artspace Barcelona: 18 March 2009 - 30 April 2009
®artspace Milano: 12 March 2009 - 15 April 2009

The limited edition ROJO®ocho book is available on the ROJO® shop
The Rapture pieces on show are available to purchase on the ROJO® artstore

'Outside'

2009-02-27T17:50:00.017Z

Co-written by myself, Robert Bailey and Tom Wightman 'Outside' won funding through Northwest Vision and Media's Virgin Shorts 2008 competition. 'Outside' was shot over four consecutive days in locations around the North of England. Directed by Wightman with production design by myself and Bailey the short is currently in post-production....and yes, that symbol is the films title.

images courtesy of Auto-9

2009-02-24T22:05:00.003Z

My art reviewed in Art Review

2009-01-19T10:54:00.003Z

Part of the London art reviews marathon '4 critics, 7 days, 100 reviews'

www.artreview.com

Construct

2008-12-24T12:17:00.006Z

Construct is an accumulation of polyhedra forms I made from modular origami over a three year period.
Also known as 'Bucky balls' (after the American architect Buckminster Fuller who was known for his use of geodesic domes) they are built out of a number of 'Pentagon-Hexagon Zig Zag (PHiZZ) units' each made from a square piece of coloured paper.
They have the same geometric form as a Fullerene (carbon based molecules, also named after Fuller) which are used to build structures in Nanotechnology.

More images of the installation on my website

London Art Fair 2009

2008-12-12T14:00:00.004Z

FORSTER will have two new drawings at the London Art Fair 2009 - Business Design Centre, Islington - 14th - 18th January 2009. Stand G45 on the balcony level (at the rear, on the right)

Interview in Belio magazine

2008-12-10T18:22:00.001Z

BELIO:28 Pop issue

www.beliomagazine.com/store

'Into the Fold' at Forster

2008-11-07T17:13:00.001Z

Into the Fold (solo show): 7 November - 20 December 2008

FORSTER
1 Chapel Place
Rivington Street
London
EC2A 3DQ

+44 (0)20 7739 7572
info@forstergallery.com

press release:

FORSTER is proud to present James Roper’s forthcoming solo show, ‘Into The Fold’, a much anticipated collection of stunning new paintings and a site-specific installation in his first exhibition at the gallery.

Roper draws upon his own library of photographs as a foundation for his striking paintings, whilst also obsessively trawling and utilizing a plethora of visual material found on the internet, including fashion, animation, and advertising. Each of the artist’s paintings result from his re-digestion and translation of these collected pictorial tools, with his superior use of paint.

‘I predominantly choose images and try to create forms which I feel register a visual 'peak shift', a term given to the phenomena of 'neurological attraction' that appears in both humans and animals to an extreme characterization of an object.’ – James Roper

This ‘peakshift’ is core to the artists work. Present within advertising, Hollywood blockbusters, haute couture fashion, as well as in extreme forms of body exaggeration such as bodybuilding and pornography, the artist extracts the key element of the image, that causes such heightened visual excitement. By isolating ‘peakshift’ images and merging them through collage, the intention is to intensify the visual triggers so that they form a sort of neurological hyperactivity.

In addition to contemporary source material, James Roper’s work has been heavily influenced by Catholic imagery from the Baroque period and he specifically sites Bernini - the exaggerated depiction of texture, flesh and folds in robes and cloth as key source of inspiration.

"I see the fold of things through the dust they stir up, and whose folds I cast aside. I do not see into God, but I do see into the folds." Deleuze – The Fold

The excessive use of pleats in the artists work surround the viewer as if they are housed within this lavish world of colour and texture. They themselves are engulfed by these surfaces and become part of the folds that are beyond the canvas but are indeed hinted at. The sublime titles of the paintings point towards an otherworldly suggestion of infinity or the constant shift of perception and understanding of space, time and quantity. We have to ask what is it that we are looking for – an answer, solution, reason or cause? Surely the best option is to enjoy this visual feast laid before us, and submerge ourselves into the fold?

Since completing his BA (Hons) in Fine Art at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2005 James Roper has exhibited widely across the UK and has been featured in such publications as Belio Magazine and Dazed and Confused. Roper is currently art directing a short film he co-wrote that won funding from NorthWest Vision and Media as part of their Virgin Shorts 2008.
For further information and images please contact Suzanne at the gallery on +44 (0)20 7739 7572 or Suzanne@forstergallery.com