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.