Curated by Kelly M. Coffey

Artist Showcase Solo Jim Richards

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Jim Richards’ Artist Statement for Refuge in Isolation:

"In 2020 I responded to a call for entry to a show called, Refuge. I was struck by the poignancy of the show’s title, as I, like so many others, was a refugee, separated from my friends, family, work, and most of my regular life. Part of what also struck me about the show’s name was the realization I take refuge in my imagination, which really saved me during the pandemic. I was able to go to my studio, work, think and make things. My studio building was built in the late 1800’s. It’s old. Its windows are old. And I was looking out of them every day, at things I could no longer access. I looked and imagined, from my place of refuge. And I photographed the windows in the building where I make things. This body of work came from that experience. I print the windows on Pictorico, which is a clear transparency, and sew the prints into a wooden frame over a bed of wool, which adds texture to the translucent parts of the image. Wool is the stuff of dreams, filling our pillows and cradling our imaginations. Sewing is an ancient and pure form of
joinery, conventionally for fabrics. But I also use it in woodworking and bookbinding. I use doors for protection of the work because doors are portals as are windows, and I want to transport you to a different place. Also, I can’t stand looking at myself and the room behind me in the glass that protects conventionally framed things. I want you to see what you’re looking at.

 

I hope you enjoy the windows."