 Today, I began my residency with James Hunter, spending four hours at his house from 10 am to 2 pm. He is the grandson of the late folk artist Clementine Hunter. During this time, I observed him painting and sharing stories with me. With a sketchbook, I took notes and sketched a few images as he narrated his tales and explained his painting process. Despite my expectations, I discovered that James is a more of a minimalist artist who works with simple tools. His shed and house were remarkably clean and uncluttered. Using small brushes and a halved Powerade bottle for water, he maintained a tidy work area. Although there were paint stains on his tablecloth and dry paint on his brushes, he considered himself messy, yet I found his workspace quite organized.  James revealed that he paints from memory without needing references. To overcome artist's block, he searches for his grandmother's artwork online, recreating them true to the original before experimenting with different colors. Mixing colors directly on his brush without blending them fully, he creates unique scenes by merging various paintings together. His preferred paint is Daffodil Yellow from FolkArt. He mentioned that there was just something different about that color that draws him to it.  Before starting a painting, James sketches the design with a sharpie marker and uses pure paint without mixing colors. He thins down acrylic paint with water for a smoother application. When I inquired about his livelihood, James mentioned that he supports himself by assisting a friend during farming and crawfish seasons, but mainly earns from his paintings. He shared a story about Mike Jones, a horse rider who would recklessly fall off his horse when tired, and sleep wherever he landed. James mentioned his childhood experiences with Mike, who would let him ride his horse for amusement. James explained that he always loved horses and it was always a special treat. 
Residency Proposal is subjected to change. Gavin BridgesMFA Student, Artist, and Creator
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 During my second semester at Jacksonville University, I was tasked with selecting a focus for six paintings. Admittedly, I procrastinated and only shared my proposal on the last day, as I was uncertain about what I wanted to work on. I had a few ideas floating around, from portraits of influential people to religious trauma. Given my ongoing internal debate, I ultimately decided to explore the latter. My art teacher recommended that I create a timeline as a foundation for this series, which proved to be a challenging task. It took over two hours to identify six standout memories. While I'll keep the details of each one under wraps for now, I can reveal that the first painting is centered around accountability. I recall a professor who expressed confusion about why the LGBTQ+ community often hides their abusers and painful experiences. With this piece, I aim to hold them accountable, as well as those who spoke hurtful words to me during my childhood. The painting is not finished but will be a series of six works.  I created this series based on the idea that my cat was a very large black mass that frightens people at times. But then I realized that he is my best friend how could he be scary? I started to document and pay more attention to the things that he does and the way he moves. He is an important part of my day-to-day life. He tells me when I need to sleep. He reminds me that I need to eat. He is excited when I get home and demands that I hold him. He is needy and shows human-like emotions. He is confident and curious. I learned more about him. His name is Moi. |
AuthorGavin Bridges Archives
December 2024
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