James Randle paints from feeling as opposed to a pure realistic approach to a scene; a sense of his past,  upbringing as well as current reality can be experienced in each of his works.  James’ renderings are referred to as urban realism which can depict a place in society, an object, a feeling, a manmade structure or destruction of past opulence.  His paintings reflect an admiration for modern landscape painters and his influence is particularly evident in the atmospheres created by suffused light throughout his work.  

James uses photographs and sketches as a starting point for his compositions. Once the idea is on canvas he lets his process react to the composition and mood of the piece.  For Randle, the most important feature of an object is the feeling that it invokes. His marks create motion, skewing one's temporal perception of the still image. The work is gestural, emotive, pushing and pulling, causing complexity to emerge from the seemingly benign urban settings.

James was born in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1981.  He received A Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Utah in the winter of 2005.  He currently works at his studio in Phoenix Arizona.

Gallery Info

Podcast Feature

Features

  • Featured Artist, American Art Collector, December 2017, "States of Decay."

  • Award of Merit in Painting, La Quinta Arts Festival, 2017

  • Best in Show, Beverly Hills Arts Festival, 2016

  • Best in Show Painting, Park City Kimball Arts Festival, 2015

  • Uptown Magazine, March 2015 Feature, Urban Art With a Heart

  • Second Place Painting, Sausalito Arts Festival 2013

  • Best in Show, Utah Arts Festival 2013

  • Honorable Mention in Painting, Beverly Hills Art Show, 2013

  • Southwest Art, November 2011, Family Ties article

  • American Art Collector, January 2010, A Sense of Place article

  • Phoenix Gallery Holliday Show, 2008, 2009, Scottsdale AZ

  • Celebration Of Fine Art, 2008 - 2015, Scottsdale, AZ

  • Southwest Art, May 2007, Featured in advertisement for Coda Gallery

  • Southwest Art, May 2007, Featured as an artist to watch

  • Out West, The Great American Landscape, Washington, D.C., February-March 2007 at the Meridian International Center. Traveling show through several museums in China Including: National museum of Art, Urumqi Art Museum, Shanxi Art Museum, Shanghi Art Museum, Qingdao Modern Art Center and the Heritage Discovery Centre in Hong Kong.

  • Poor Yorrick Studios, Salt Lake City, UT, October 2006, biannual group exhibition.

  • Williams Fine Art, Salt Lake City, UT, September 2006 Two person show with Chelsea James for annual Howard S. Clark Scholarship recipients

  • University Of Utah Student Show, Salt Lake City, UT, April 2005, Jury Choice Award

Education

  • University Of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, August 1999 to December 2005, Bachelors of Fine Art (emphasis in painting and drawing)

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