~JAMES MOORE . . . MAGIC MUSHROOMS
illustrator, painter, sculptor and installation artist . . . JAMES MOORE at the 3rd annual BROOKLYN COMICS and GRAPHICS FESTIVAL, DEC 3, 2011
FILE UNDER: the table of the three wizards.
JAMES MOORE was seated at a 3 man indie table, which quickly morphed into my fave. at the table, situated in the downstairs level, after a few twists and turns – you found James Moore displaying his goods on the left. at the center you found VICTOR KERLOW, and on the other side of Victor, at the table’s right – was J.T. YOST !!
if you know the names – then you can already grasp the leap !!
without wanting to get into any trouble here – I guess you could say Victor at the center – was the centerist. His work had a combination of drawing and narrative. His narrative was self-centered, in that it was all about inspired musings on his life in general, life in general, thinking and thought , and . . . girls. or the ultimate life force !! His calm but evocative graphics were part and parcel of his narrative, his story.
James Moore at the left of the table. well, he was coming from as far out of left field as a comic book artist could – his solely graphic, make that pictorial work, i.e. no text – though often with some great calligraphy flourishes . . . stemming more from an art world stance, than a publishing venture, even a small indie one. he would be making multiples – but they would be stickers, as opposed to small edition books. he still told stories, but they were literally wordless ones, totally dependent on illustration, and illustrative manipulation.
well, the event does bill itself as: the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics (!!) Fest.
though I don’t recall too many – graphics per se – exhibitors ? and, in fact I think James would rather be defined as an artist – as opposed to a graphics person, and he would be right. well maybe they . . that would be graphic designers . . . were the BIG unseen elephant in the house. all those books, and posters – many of them were made with the generous helping hand of many a talented, and often unaccredited . . . graphic designer – bet on it !!
James would be more likely to explode into an elaborate window installation, as he did recently at DESERT ISLAND or a bonafide art gallery exhibit, then he would be to produce a book. . . unless it might be a collection of his works, ha.
you just have to trip out on his – website / JAMESELLIOTTMOORE.COM – to get a sense for his wordless, creative, explosive dimensionality. the word: magic comes to mind. and so does sci fi – in the terms of where the planet, also known as our home – is heading.
J.T. Yost, who was on the right, on the other hand – is the conservative of the group – he comes straight out of the legacy of CHARLES SCHULZ. Charlie Brown and throw a bone to Bart Simpson. a post on his work . . . comes up next.
JAMES MOORE – detail of the fold-up . . . or is that fold-out ? PAPER Spaceship poster that he did, and which he is holding in the photo at the top.
this is what it looks like – folded down.
JAMES MOORE poster.
you should check around, play around his website to see – what digital magic he did to this.
he had one of the best cards, from an art world, even folk art world, point of view – yes, it did strike me in fact, as being more of a stand-alone art object. a cut-out art object, rather than a business card.
JAMES MOORE, his acorn ‘business’ cards – nice, dancing line quality on the front, enchanting calligraphy, his web contact – on the back.
that’s what I mean by magic. Lord of the Rings . . . meet the web biz.
JAMES MOORE – big mushroom – sticker.
TAYLOR McKIMENS and JAMES MOORE.
by chance, as if to emphasize Moore’s art world background and ambitions – just then, in strolled Taylor McKimens – the biggest contemporary artist to be found at this Saturday afternoon in Williamsburg fest. what, not in Miami, Taylor ? Taylor McKimens is one of the few contemporary, as in cutting edge, artists to successfully straddle the art world, with one big foot dipping, make that dripping ? – into the comics world.
JAMES MOORE – acorn card.
JAMES MOORE – reverse acorn card.
JAMES MOORE – mushroom sticker.
JAMES MOORE – ‘stem re-birth’ – off his website.
JAMES MOORE – the magic of digital.
JAMES MOORE – a view of his DESERT ISLAND window installation/sculpture – from his website. see more views: desert island window
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH / unless otherwise noted as from James Moore website.
p.s. sorry for the thin blue line in some of the pix – luck of the Irish, not !! my camera broke down – right then & there.