James Flynn
Region: South
Website: http://www.callancontemporary.com/artists/james-flynn/thumbnails
City / State: New Orleans, LA
I am fascinated with qualia and the nature of our perception. My
paintings are explorations in Chromoluminarism, ambiguous
geometry, and abstract illusion. I often incorporate the Pareidolia
Effect (the psychological phenomenon whereby the viewer’s brain
organizes abstract elements into familiar patterns, shapes, and
forms unique to the individual). Through the device of pareidolia,
I intend that the viewer rather than the image provide meaning.
By creating a visual field in which image and color blend optically
and shift as the viewer interacts with the painting, I destabilize
the viewer’s perception of image and color. I achieve the optical
effect through the manipulation of line value, nuanced color
harmonies, and spatial characteristics of chromatic induction.
The optical effects are further enhanced through the strategic
use of iridescence, interference, metallic paint, and UV-reactive
paint. The illusory nature of the optical effect combined with
the elusiveness of color reveals the dynamism of the viewer’s
ongoing organization of the visual field and, as such, suggests the
interactive, ever-changing qualities of our perception.