The fragmented, tumultuous, confusing and creative space floating between dreams and consciousness has become the inspiration for a collection of work by artist James Wheater.
A face emerging from plaster on a piece of broken wood
Entitled Hypnagogia – the borderland between wakefulness and sleep – the vision for James’ final exhibition work comes from his own subconscious, focusing on long-held dreams surrounding claustrophobia. The anxiety of enclosed spaces is the oppressive motivation for part of James’ collection, although as with dreams and nightmares, he blends the dark with the ethereal light throughout the work.
Daydreaming
Each dreamscape aims to become a bridge between fantasy and reality, a fairy tale scene full of powerful imagery drawn from a collection of James’ poems, detailed line drawings and collection of plaster-based artworks.
Lights: Lighthouses – from idea to creation
In ‘Lights: Lighthouses’, a squinting eye is bursting out from the centre of a book. Surrounded by moss, it is reaching to the viewer, who is keen to look through this plaster cast window to the soul of the book, the soul of the man and the soul of the natural bright green shoots that envelop his face. Through his work, James creates a disjoin between words and seeing. We expect to open a book and see pages of text. We don’t expect to see an image of man and nature entwined. That stark contrast is what helps to make this artwork memorable; it obscures our assumptions and allows us to experience James’ art from a different perspective. Free from preconceived constraints, we can view his artwork uninhibited and in its truest form.
“The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled,” John Berger, Ways of Seeing.
Like a Salvador Dali painting – who also praised the pool of creativity found in the space between sleep and wakefulness – each element James uses is recognisable. But by taking it out of context and placing it somewhere else, he can reflect the jarring, fantastical feeling that only an intense dream can convey.
The Dream of Venus, Salvador Dali
The eyes are the window to the soul
The use of plaster is a great medium to convey the natural emotions of the human body. The casting of his own face – a major feat of multi-tasking – shows in great detail every line and pore around his closed eye. The material offers a definition and expression alongside the natural fibre of the bark and moss, bringing together humanity and nature. The whiteness of the plaster also gives a purity to James’ creations, reflecting the raw authenticity that a vivid image can implant on the dreamer.
The inspiration for James’ art comes from his own experiences, along with a strong connection with nature, but his work also reflects some of the characteristics of German artist Anselm Kiefer whose use of organic materials including ash and straw, added a vibrant, textural layer to his creations.
James’ willingness to delve into his own subconscious to create his pieces, brings an added dimension to the artwork. That personal connection can be seen in the clarity of his work, allowing the viewer to step into a dark and twisting forest dreamscape where each fragmented vision has the ghost of reality etched upon it.
“Everything comes from the earth. I wanted to erase modern life and show the link between dreams and reality,” James Wheater.
James’ work will be among those exhibited by Fine Art students at The Poly, Falmouth, from March 10th.
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