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Pictured is a woodturning piece by James Kaye at the BBAC.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
BIRMINGHAM — As a kid, James Kaye took classes at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center. Now, he is a mixed media artist that has his own exhibition.
A collection of his work, titled, “Descriptive Intuition,” will be on display at the BBAC through May 1.
While this is the first time Kaye’s work has been shown at the BBAC, it has been shown in Birmingham multiple times. He created art for the outside of the Daxton Hotel. It was through this process that he first met BBAC President and CEO Annie VanGelderen.
“He has a sculptural degree from Cranbrook, his MFA, but he delves into woodturning and metal work and painting. He crosses all mediums. You can’t hold him down,” VanGelderen said.
Although Kaye said the focus of this exhibition is his paintings, it will also feature some sculptures and wood pieces.
The process of an artist
When Kaye is in his studio, he is working on several pieces at once, seeking a rhythm similar to freeform jazz.
“I start these paintings and I don’t start with the design and I don’t start with any kind of plan,” Kaye said. “I don’t start with a color in mind. I’ve always been interested in what freeform jazz would look like.”
Rather than working on a couple of pieces at once and walking away when they need time to dry, he is working on many pieces of different mediums throughout his studio. Even though he has several projects that he is working on at once, he always finishes what he is working on.
“The act of moving from one to the other is a fluid dance,” Kaye said.
The reason he values this type of flow is because he believes that, “The more I think, the tougher life gets. Everything gets more complicated, and once the flow is gone, things get clunky.”
When it comes to his paintings, texture is a major component that he likes to build upon. He is fascinated by the history and ware of things that he encounters, such as the grooves in the limestone steps into an old building, where it is apparent people have been climbing for years. Kaye said he strives to create “these little details that show the soul.”
This exhibition, “Descriptive Intuition,” is made of abstract expressionist pieces. His work is set to be on display at the BBAC Mondays-Thursdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on the BBAC and its galleries, visit bbartcenter.org.
