James Ralph Morton is a Bristol-based artist who creates portraits that transcend from naturalistic to abstract in each piece. His work looks to represent an individual and the psyche behind the eyes. Having spent nearly 20 years honing his craft and style, James now presents his work with the hope of giving an insight into the minds of his subjects and himself simultaneously.
"The work is intentionally left ambiguous, with a degree of mystery. I am seeking to provoke questions, not provide answers."
James Morton's work is based on people and his need to capture an expression or feeling at a given moment. He uses old photographs as well as images of people he sees in his everyday life. His goal is to depict a vulnerability or melancholy, which often results in his paintings having an ethereal quality. He begins each painting with an image, but the relationship between the marks takes over and he rarely references the original photo again during the painting process.
He uses gestural mark-making, manoeuvring the paint with different tools to manipulate the surface, creating definition and texture. He also pushes and pulls different features to the forefront of the painting to obtain balance. His hope is that viewers will be able to see the humanity in his paintings and feel some of the same emotions that he experienced while creating them.
James Morton's One Hundred Times was a collection of work which explored the loops and routines we as humans find ourselves in while forging a path in an uncertain modern society. The work sought to examine the common but unspoken inner turmoil faced by a generation whose paths were left unwritten and future seems in question.
Morton's portraits were both naturalistic and abstract, representing an individual and the psyche behind the eyes. He had spent nearly 20 years honing his craft and style, and now presented his work with the hope of giving an insight into the minds of his subject and himself simultaneously.
Originally from North Yorkshire, now based in Bristol, Morton had spent his years observing and understanding the people and strangers who walk this city, forming an image of what it means to be alive in the urban 21st century. In his own words, Morton described this show: "My work evolves from an interest in people, and a basic need to capture an expression at a given moment". Aiming to depict a vulnerability or melancholy, these paintings often take on an ethereal quality.
