Events

James Deeb: 25,000 Miles from Home

James Deeb is a painter and printmaker who received his MFA from Western Michigan University, and currently lives in Chicago. About his work he says:

“I strive for extremes of content as well as form. My work suggests the ugly and the beautiful, the mind and the body. This is possible because art has the ability to contain seemingly incompatible attributes without compromise. What would be irrational in a verbal or mathematical expression becomes compelling in a work of art. This is what makes art powerful, elusive and even controversial. This ability is also fragile. The most effective way to suffocate a piece of art is to assign it a definitive meaning. Without the ability to subtly shift meaning and affect viewers differently over time, a painting is nothing more than an expensive piece of wallpaper. A truly successful work of art is one that defies quick interpretation and engages its audience like a living being. This is my aim. This is why I paint.”