Dana James
* DISCOVERY

written Abigail Hart

If Dana James’ work could be described in one word, it might just be discovery. From new media, to new subjects to old media and subjects presented in new ways, James is always finding something living, something nuanced in her art. She mentions the idea of discovery a few times in our conversation, and it followed me through her thoughts and ideas and into her art.

“I do not think being an artist is a choice as much as it is a discovery in the world of communication.”

French philosopher Victor Cousin presented the idea of l’art pour l’art, or “art for art’s sake.” It speaks to the intrinsic value of art in its own existence, not merely as valuable in relation to other things. Dana James reflects this idea of art for art’s sake—it does not seek to be loved or appreciated or remembered, it simply exists and offer its own value to us for the taking. 

“My work is marked by nostalgia, more specifically, the optics of our memories. There is a shifting light in each piece, a literal “glow,” that calls upon the glinting of the ocean, the phosphoresce of dragonflies, the magic felt in the vastness of nature as a child, and the flashing of color just before drifting into sleep.”

James’ paintings are layered. They are intriguing and balanced in the best way, which is to say with a freedom to not be balanced at all. She says, “My painting is about adding and subtracting, cleaning the dirty and dirtying the clean, until I achieve the moment I am looking for. The most meaningful marks remain, and the rest is a process of elimination.” It is obvious her pieces are moments, the culmination of all that was and all that is yet to be in their own universes. 

.artist talk
Dana James
speaks with
Abigail Hart
first published in:
issue 30, 01/2021

“Painting grants us the rare opportunity to do something until we get it right, to fix our mistakes, and once we do, it is the highest satisfaction.”

During the pandemic, James has found meaningfulness in art. As her priorities shift and crystalize, she describes a process of prioritizing in her life similarly to how she prioritizes in her work. It struck me as such a universal idea, that so many of us are good at prioritizing at work and maybe experience varying levels of success at prioritizing in life. Seeing the results of those priorities in the form of a stunning work of art elevates the simple work we all do every day—the work of choosing the things to include in your life. As for James’ choices, she anticipates a new discovery every day. 

credit header image

Dana James
Exhibition view at Bode Projects, Berlin
Otherwise All Was Silent, 2020
Dana James´ first Solo Exhibition in Europe