Untitled Nov18

Artwork exclusive to IdeelArt

American multidisciplinary artist James Godman has one foot each in two seemingly disparate worlds: abstract painting and representational photography. His paintings evolve through a process of adding and subtracting— layering and revealing textures, colors and brush marks, building images up from nothingness towards a sense of emotional, material presence. Founded on the techniques and processes of street art, they are rooted in the visual language of urban decay. His photographs, on the other hand, are distinctly minimal. Godman simplifies his subjects and pares down what is visible, muting his colors and limiting how the objective world is seen in order to condense the image to its essence. What both types of his works share is a sense that the subject goes beyond content, as Godman is striving to communicate a feeling, whether that is decadence, decay, transformation, sensuality, isolation, or simply humanity.

Godman has exhibited his work in galleries and art fairs around the United States, and has been featured by international brands such as Bang & Olufsen. He is based in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York.