In the Garden of Undue Influences

Artist Statement:

       “My artwork is a reflection of my psyche - a result of the collision of my inner world with the world at large. Although I draw my inspiration from the world about me, it takes on it’s own particular bent as it travels through the portals of my mind. The places (the Willamette Valley having been a factor for many years now), things, and events of my life, all influence my work. The imagery that evolves enables me to indulge my narrative inclinations; although the stories being told are obscure ones at best. I approach each drawing without a plan, working spontaneously and trusting to my intuition as a composition develops. This subconscious mode of operation leads to surprises not only for the viewer, but for myself as well. These surprises - as welll as the challenges of pulling it all together into cohesive compositions - are to analyze the content too deeply; at least I am not willing to verbally reveal too much about myself. My desire is that the work will mean different things to different people depending upon their own history or state of mind.” 

       “Titles are an important part of my work and they evolve in much the same way as the drawings do. Generally, at some point while I am working on a piece, a title will pop into my head. It is usually a combination of automatic writing  and becoming aware of what it is that the drawing is trying to say. Whether the former or the latter has the greater influence, depends upon the piece I am working on at the moment.”

       “Beyond that, my concerns are aesthetic. I strive for mastery of craft and strong compositional structure. The detail and richness of each piece should stand on its own merit and still engage the viewer after the initial “What the . . . ?”. 

                        Jim Adams