Viewing Room
Let There Be Light
Anthony James
Light has always been an essential element in artistic expression for whoever managed to
speak its language. From Leonardo da Vinci’s chiaroscuro , the shimmering sunsets of a Monet
painting to the interplay of shadows from a Henri Cartier-Bresson, artists who were able to
harness the power of light in their skills managed to develop a visual language beyond
compare. Channelling imagination and broadening possibilities, light can become fundamental
a tool of creation and expression. By creating with and around light, the best artists
develop an aesthetic that is their own, giving them the possibility to sculpt the
intangible.
In this bright new paradigm of associating an online show to a physical
exhibition
in our Singapore location, Opera Gallery is proud to present the illuminating works of
world-acclaimed
Contemporary artist, Anthony James. Using cutting-edge techniques, James masters light in an
unprecedented way, and leads us to a completely new, immersive visual lexicon. His experimentations
have
led to a series of works that engages his audience into an infinite dialogue of mirrored precision
and
plays with the sensory apprehension of its environment.
ANTHONY JAMES
Foreground:
Crystal 001
2020
Stainless steel, specialised glass, LED
Unique piece
245,1 x 116,8 x 120,7 cm (96.5 x 46 x 47.5 in)
Through his practice, James revisits Euclidian geometry, more specifically
Platonic solids, a series of three-dimensional polyhedrons. Considered ideal shapes by the
Ancient
Greeks, they are here reborn under the genius hands of the artist, who propels them into a
futuristic
aesthetic of metal and technological light. From the pre-existing shapes mentioned by Plato,
James
creates new solids, more intricate, more advanced, distilling a timeless aesthetic and opening
windows
onto new worlds.
ANTHONY JAMES
36” Wall Portal (Silver Birch Gray)
2020
Stainless steel, specialised glass, LED,
Silver Birch Gray finish
Edition of 6
91,4 x 91,4 x 38,1 cm (36 x 36 x 15 in)
ANTHONY JAMES
50” Triacontahedron (Solar Black)
2020
Stainless steel, specialised glass, LED,
Solar Black finish
Edition of 6
127 x 127 x 127 cm (50 x 50 x 50 in)
ANTHONY JAMES
24” Icosahedron (Solar White)
2020
Stainless steel, specialised glass, LED,
Solar White finish
Edition of 24
61 x 61 x 61 cm (24 x 24 x 24 in)
ANTHONY JAMES
50’’ Icosahedron (Solar Black)
2019
Stainless steel, specialised glass, LED,
Solar Black finish
Edition of 6
127 x 127 x 127 cm (50 x 50 x 50 in)
James’s works are mesmerising capsules releasing
visual
vibrations to
its
audience. Through his sculptures of glass, steel and light, the artist rethinks geometry and creates
portals
to new worlds displaying the apogee of Euclidean spatial perfection. As contemplation beckons
further
into
the hidden worlds of the artworks, one might be compelled to reflect on cosmic rules, Einsteinian
and
otherwise. What would it feel to travel as fast as light, as far as time?
ANTHONY JAMES
40” Bullet Painting
2020
Polished stainless steel
Unique piece
101,6 x 101,6 cm (40 x 40 in)
Besides a unique new series of his LED sculptures, this exceptional
curated
selection also reveals the creativity of Anthony James in his new experimentations with the
various
textures of metal and its reflecting properties. With his Bullet Painting, the artist explores
how
torn
steel opens a new realm of artworks between wall art and sculpture.
ANTHONY JAMES
30” Bullet painting
2020
Polished stainless steel
Unique pieces, installation of four
Each panel: 76,2 x76,2 cm (30 x 30 in)
His REPOSE
series, featuring
various Ferrari cars alludes to K.O. (2008),
the installation that shone a light on his artistry. An excellent way to look back on the evolution
of
his
creativity, and how he honed his skills in the light of his worldwide fame.
ANTHONY JAMES
REPOSE - Ferrari 250TR
2020
Bronze repoussé
Unique piece
152,4 x 396,2 x 132,1 cm with frame(60 x 156 x 52 with frame)
ANTHONY JAMES
REPOSE - Ferrari P4
2020
Bronze repoussé
Unique piece
182,9 x 426,7 x 142,2 cm with frame(72 x 168 x 56 in with frame)
ANTHONY JAMES
K.O.
2008
Ferrari 355 Spider, birch, glass, aluminium, black steel, LED
Unique piece
243,8 x 487,7 x 243,8 cm (96 x 192 x 96 in)
This Viewing Room was created to coincide with the exhibition Let There Be
Light,
presented at Opera Gallery Singapore. To enquire about availabilities and gallery specifics,
please
contact
spore@operagallery.com or + 65 6735 2618
spore@operagallery.com or + 65 6735 2618
Anthony James was born in England in 1974. He
studied in London at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design from 1994 to 1998. Based in
Los
Angeles, Anthony James is a celebrated British-American artist defined by his monumental and
futuristic works featuring LED and specialised glass. His sculptures are present in museums
exhibitions and private collections around the world. In a cosmic fusion of art, science and
mathematics, James’ work gestures towards minimalism, materiality, process, alchemy, language,
mechanisation, and experimentation with light and space.