- #jamesbrucethomason#oldhaa#oldhaamuseum#yell#burravoe#shetland#musuem#aboriginal
- 24 July 2024
James's travel strongly influence his wonderfully detailed work. He has benefitted from taking part in projects in Iceland, Denmark and Sardinia. The light & landscape home in Shetland offer a dramatic contrast to "Down Under", where he lived in the 90's.
Artist statement:
Home in Shetland, 60 degrees north, the light and landscape offer a dramatic contrast to "Down Under". My travels still strongly influence my work and since I came back I've benefited from taking part in projects in Iceland, Denmark and Sardinia.
However, the people, history and culture of my native islands have remained a constant thread in my work throughout my life. While the different environments I've lived in have all had an impact on my paintings - be the imaginative, figurative or landscape - memories of childhood and the stoicism of women in the face of hardship are among my strongest influences.
I am particularly "chuffed" to be exhibiting here in the Old Haa, a building I used to visit as a bairn when my grandfather lived here.
More about the artist in his own words:
I was born in Lerwick, Shetland in 1946. My first interest was in theatre and in the 1960's I was attracted to experimental theatre at the Traverse in Edinbugh, getting involved in poetry reading at shows with musicians like the Incredible String Band.
Heading for London, I continued with mime/acting poetry in venues such as the Arts Lab in Drury Lane and Beckenham. I enjoyed meeting and working with Concrete poets, American poets and Liverpool poets. Among the highlights was taking part in poetry/chanting at the Oval Round House when Uoko Ono was among the artists.
Drawn to the visual arts, when I started to paint I took classes at Camberwell School of Arts. In the late 60's I went "on the road" travelling and painting round the UK, Europe and Morocco, absorbing influences which remain with me to this day. By the 80's I had settled in Woodbridge, Suffolk. A highlight of the 80's was working with Brian Eno on art design for studio and garden design, catering for music exhibitions, including U2 and Talking Heads.
In the 90s I moved to Australia where I was privileged to live in Aboriginal communities, sharing ides with traditional artists. I like to hold workshops at my exhibitions and when I lived in Australia two teaching experiences proved particularly memorable. In 1990, I worked with the Oenpelli Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory and between 93 and 95 I was working with Yalata community in South Australia. In addition, the huge skies and amazing vista of the Outback significantly influenced my work.
I came be to Shetland in 2004 and now live, and work, in Levenwick where my home, studio and garden enjoy wonderful panoramic views. My return to Shetland coincided with the inception of Veer North, a group of Shetland-based professional artists who've exhibited together in different venues. I has happy to be an active member.