James
Seffens
Media:
Painting, Sculpture
Studio Location:
43-50 11th Street, Long Island City, NY 11101
Room/Studio#
106
Website:
Artist Bio:
James Seffens grew up in an Ohio enclave populated by his extended family. It was a DIY, grow your own sort of place, so naturally James taught himself to paint, build, and carve. He attended OSU, obtaining a degree in geology. Upon moving to New York City in the 1970's he met and began working with an older sculptor, Nicolas Cortes, who had a studio in Hell's Kitchen where he produced
store displays. James maintained a Hell's Kitchen storefront studio for 31 years, relocating to Long Island City in 2011
Artist Statement:
From a collection of images that includes family photos and souvenir postcards I will select subject material for painting. Memories of times and places will be revived while preparing drawings based on these images.
The materials used in my paintings are not traditionally used for fine art but have long been used as decorative finishes. Oil-based enamels, japan colors, and varnishes intrigue me for their potential visual effect. After considerable experimentation I developed methods to employ these materials for representation painting.
The paintings are created in stages over a period of time. Several thin layers of paint are built up and later reduced by sanding. The sanding reveals underlying colors, details, and textures, in effect exposing the history of the work’s production.
