JahRoc Galleries are excited to welcome Melbourne based artist James Price to our stable of Australian artists.

James Price is an unapologetically skilled storyteller. His artistic practice employs a distinct, vibrant graphic language that condenses the complexities and contradictions of our times.

Price’s work is able to articulate intricate ideas loaded with pathos, humour and humanity. His paintings, moving image works and ceramics visually articulate modern life for those of us unsure whether we should laugh, cry, or do both at once.

Enjoy getting to know James Price

When did you first feel the desire to be artistic and realize you had talent?

I had some terrible jobs when I was in my late teens and early 20’s and I thought “Gees, work sucks if you don’t like what you’re doing”. So I decided to teach myself how to be a creative person. I’m still teaching myself everyday.

Where did you learn your art?

I got a lot of my craft skills from working as a commercial artist. I worked for 10 years in New York, and have worked for some of the biggest brands in the world – Netflix, Nike, MTV, The BBC, The Washington Post and TED. Doing that made me technically good, but I developed my own eye by looking at the work I love and trying to understand why it worked.

What inspires you most?

I’m really inspired by people who do their own thing in life. It takes a lot of courage to forge your own path and stick to it. I think some of that comes across in the work. I try to recognise the quiet strength in people.

What message are you sending to the viewer of your art?

I think when I’m painting people I’m trying to say something about the authentic beauty of the human body. It’s no coincidence for me that I’m making such figurative work right as we are beginning to use digital technologies to separate our identities from our physical forms. But the body doesn’t lie. It reveals a lot about you, and I love that. Its real.

Describe your studio

i work from home, simply because my mind is always working and if I have half an idea at 10pm, or 6am I like to be able to work on it. So my house is a studio, or my studio is a house. I’d say it’s organised chaos, but without the organisation.

Describe your typical day of creating art

I work all day. In the mornings I tend to draw more and do more planning. In the afternoon I paint as my mind isn’t as active. I listen to music the whole time. I dance while I work – this is one of the reasons I work alone.

What mediums do you use and why?

I use predominantly Acrylic Gouache and a French paint called Flasche. It gives my work a very matte finish, and suits the bold, graphic nature of the way I paint.

What are you working on now?

I’m doing a lot of drawings to plan new works. I just came out of a very intense painting period so it’s nice to switch it up and go back to the design phase. I have several solo exhibitions lined up, but I try not to work too far ahead of myself. I’m usually the most excited by what I’m going to make tomorrow, so I try and stay in the moment.

What are your recent career achievements you feel proud of?

Honestly, I’m most proud of the fact that people engage with my work and really enjoy it. I’ve painted large murals all over the world, and worked on multi milliton dollar commercial projects, but there’s nothing nicer than meeting someone who invested in your work and loves that they get to look at it every day.

What do you love most about what you do?

Making art is my way of connecting with people. I can be a bit shy and introverted (shocker) but I think people are capable of amazing things and we have a lot to learn from each other. I love that this is my way to connect with people.

Where can you see yourself in 10 years time?

Making things. The only constant in my life is that I am an impulsive maker. I value the ‘doing’ of things, and I don’t thing that will ever change.

Artist Biography

James Price is a Melbourne artist whose practice incorporates Gallery Work, Public & Community Art and Moving Image. His work has a distinct visual language that’s rooted in human centered storytelling – from an almost contemporary folk art perspective. It’s certainly unique to the market.

James Price is an unapologetically skilled storyteller. His artistic practice employs a distinct, vibrant graphic language that condenses the complexities and contradictions of our times. Price’s work is able to articulate intricate ideas loaded with pathos, humour and humanity. His paintings, moving image works and ceramics visually articulate modern life for those of us unsure whether we should laugh, cry, or do both at once.

Price sharpened his storytelling skills working across the world as a globally recognised commercial artist, including a decade working from his own highly successful studio in New York. He’s created work for some of the worlds most recognised Storytellers and Organisations, including: Netflix, MTV, The BBC, The Washington Post, TED, Nike, and our own ABC.

As an accomplished public artist Price has created Murals, Moving Image commissions and site specific installations, and activations, for communities across Australia. Highlights include a giant 23 metre moving image commission for Wynyard Station in Sydney through Transport NSW, large scale mural works for the Lake Macquarie and Broken Hill communities, and an animated film that reflects upon ideas of social isolation for The City of Melbourne.

Price’s recent gallery work draws a charismatic parallel between the classic historical western form, the pictorial naivety of folk art, and the idiosyncrasies of our ever evolving contemporary culture. Created for a time when our bodies are heavier, and our attention spans lighter, Price’s newest works question, clarify, illuminate and lampoon our contemporary form.