Painter James Jankowiak will present acrylic paintings on wood panels for his exhibition at Dock 6 this Friday.
James states about his work, "Over the last seven years, my work has centered around my fascination with the visceral reaction of seeing and observing the processing of perception.
My process has been guided along by a life long interest in natural history, specifically palenontology. Just as a paleontologist meticulously scratches at a chunk of stone to reveal the prized fossil, my physical approach emulates the repetitive process required to arrive at that moment of discovery.
When a new work commences, it immediately announces that this will be a slow journey of transformation and there will be no quick answers, but if you stay true to the path, something worthwhile just might reveal itself as a reward. At first glance, they appear as graphics, but if you look closer, my hand is revealed, as each line changes size, angle, contour and color.
I believe in the biochemical aspect of how color plays a role in our lives... how it affects our being, whether it feels intrusive, calming, chaotic or inviting."
James Jankowiak was born (1969) and raised in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. After a decade of developing his own visual language through graffiti wild style lettering as Casper, he decided to make his studio practice his first priority. He still lives on the south side with his wife Jennifer and sons James and David, and his two dogs, Isabella and Luca.
