James Busby
James Busby was born in 1973 in Rock Hill (South Carolina) and lives and works in Chapin, South Carolina. In 2003 he obtained the title of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. His artistic research is centered on dexterity and attention to the constructivist legacy, in order to better investigate the reality of the work and return to the origins of painting. He assures that his works do not represent other than their own materiality.
Busby’s works are the result of a long and rigorous process, most of the time the work begins on a wooden support, on which plaster is spread so that the layers accumulate slowly. Once the desired thickness is reached, the artist then smooth’s, a process characterized by rigorous attention to detail and which gives the work a textured effect.
The works of James Busby can be considered open, due to the possibility of continuous variations according to their spatial disposition. The reflective quality of his works requires the viewer to move around until he suggests an almost infinite number of visual experiences, every time a reflection changes.
Several exhibitions have been dedicated to James Bubsy, among the personal ones to remember are Talking in Code, New Paintings and Drawings (2015) at the Reyonolds Gallery in Richmond and Life Around Here (2016) at the Kravets | Wheby Gallery in New York. In April 2019 he participated in the duo exhibition Aftermodernism A perspective on contemporary Art James Bubsy Justin Samson at the Mucciaccia Contemporary gallery. Busby is part of the Aftermodernism artistic movement founded by the collector Hubert Neumann, exhibitions dedicated to him were held in London, Paris, Stockholm and Istanbul. He has participated in various art fairs in Miami, Houston, Stockholm, Istanbul and New York City, including the International Armory Show in New York, Untitled Art Fair, Scope NY and Untitled Art Fair, Miami.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2023
James Busby, Suspirium, Lowell Ryan Projects, Los Angeles, USA
2019
New Works, Loyal Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden (forthcoming)
New Paintings, Neumann Wolfson Art, New York, USA
2016
Life Round Here, Kravets|Wehby Gallery, New York, USA
Ripple, Dirimart Galeri, Istanbul, Turkey
2015
Talking in Code, New Paintings and Drawings, Reynolds Gallery Richmond, USA
Right Right, Now Now, Kravets|Wehby Gallery, New York, USA
2014
Eyelid Movies, James Busby, Randall Scott Projects, Baltimore, USA
Figure 8, James Busby, 701 Center for Contemporary Art, Columbia, USA
New Paintings, James Busby, Randall Scott Projects, Washington DC, USA
Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast, Kravets|Wehby Gallery, New York, USA
2013
Smoke & Mirrors, Randall Scott Projects, Washington DC, USA
2012
New Paintings, Kravets|Wehby Gallery, New York, USA
James Busby: Wingspan, 2D & 3D New Work,Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, USA
2010
James Busby: New Work, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, USA
James Busby, White & Black: New Minimal Paintings, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, USA
2009
Reduction: New Work, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, USA
2008
White, New Work, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, USA
2007
White Paintings, New Gallery/Thom Andriola, Houston, USA
2006
White Paintings, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, USA
2005
White Paintings, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, USA
2003
Starting Anew, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Anderson Gallery, Virginia Common wealth University, Richmond, USA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019
AFTERMODERNISM, A Perspective on Contemporary Art, James Busby Justin Samson, curated by Cesare Biasini Selvaggi, Mucciaccia Contemporary, Rome, Italy
2018
The Summer Party Benefit Auction, The Glass House, Phillip Johnson, New Canaan, USA
James Busby, Tom Sanford, Christian Schumann, Neumann Wolfson Art, New York, USA
2017
Inaugural Exhibition, Neumann Wolfson Art, New York, USA
2016
What’s Up, curate by Lawerence Van Hagen, Soho Revue Gallery, London, Great Britan
2015
Untitled Art Fair, Nina Chanel Abney & James Busby, Kravets|Wehby Gallery, Miami, USA
Contemporary Istanbul, Dirimart Galeri Booth, Istanbul, Turkey
Art International, Dirimart Galeri, Istanbul, Turkey
Art & Design Hamptons, Randall Scott Projects, Hamptons, USA
2014
Outsider In, a cura di Ross Watts, Sara Nightingale Gallery, Hamptons, USA
Across The Board: New Works, if ART Gallery, Columbia, USA
Forms of Abstraction, 1950 to Today, curated by Susanne Van Hagen, Dickinson Gallery, London, England People Staring, Kravets|Wehby Gallery, New York, USA
After Space, Loyal Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden
Vacation Days, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, USA
Market Art Fair, Loyal Gallery Booth, Stockholm, Sweden
AftermodernisM, Michael Bevilacqua, James Busby, Ridley Howard, Nassau County Museum of Art, Long Island, USA
Texas Contemporary, Randall Scott Projects, Houston, USA
Fountains of the Deep, curated by Darren Aronofsky in conjuction with the release of his film NOAH, New York, USA
2013
Miami Project, Randall Scott Projects, Miami, USA
Looking Froward, Randall Scott Projects, Washington DC, USA
Shaking the Habitual, James Busby, Michael Bevilacqua, Jeff Elrod, Kravets|Wehby Gallery, New York, USA
Market Art Fair, Randall Scott Projects Booth, Miami, USA
Untitled Art Fair, Kravets|Wehby Gallery Booth, Miami, USA
Happy Flies Kissing Beautiful Face, curated by Lucy Li, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, USA
Recent Work, James Busby, Michael Bevilacqua & Robert Kingston, ArtMRKT, Hamptons, Randall Scott Projects Booth, Bridgehampton, USA
More Young Americans, curated by Susanne Van Hagen with Marc Olivier Wahler and Miguel Macedo, L’Enclos des Bernadins, Hôtel de Miramion, Parigi, Francia
Shaking the Habitiual, Michael Bevilacqua, James Busby & Jeff Elrod, Kravets|Wehby Gallery, New York, USA
Piping Down the Valleys Wild, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, USA
2012
701 CCA Prize Exhibition, 701 Center for Contemporary Art, Columbia, USA Extending the Line, curated by Vardy|Kauffman, Arevalo Gallery, Miami, USA
Summer Show, Stux Gallery, New York, USA Abstract Art in South Carolina 1949 2012, South Carolina State Museum, Columbia, USA
2011
SC Biennial, 701 Center For Contemporary Art, Columbia, USA
2010
The Incomplete Paris, curated by Hubert Neumann, Galerie Jean Luc + Takako Richard, Paris, France
2009
Sweet Summertime, curated by Bev Reynolds, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, USA
2007
Scratching at the Surface: James Busby & Miki Carmi, Stefan Stux Gallery New York, USA
Carolina Collects, curated by Todd Herman & Bryan Lang, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, USA
Group Exhibition, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, USA
The Incomplete, Chelsea Art Museum, curated by Hubert Neumann & Manon Slome, New York, USA
The Materiality & Metamorphosis of Graphite, curated by Elizabeth Schlatter, University of Richmond Museum, Richmond, USA, travelling exhibition in 2007 at Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, California; Western Gallery, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington; Salina Art Center, Kansas; Baum Gallery of Fine Art, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas. In 2008 at Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, New York; Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana. In 2009 at the Palmer Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
2005
Scope New York, Stefan Stux Gallery Booth, New York, USA
The Appollonian Style, curated by Joe Fyfe, Bruno Marina Gallery, Brooklyn, USA
Stux Summer Review, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, USA
The International Armory Show, Stefan Stux Gallery Booth, New York, USA
2003
Three Painters: James Busby, Heidi Trepanier, Darren Wardle, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York,
USA
Lustre, a cura di Stefan Stux, Stefan Stux Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University MFA Exhibit, New York, USA
Art To Go, 1708 Gallery, Benefit Art Auction, Richmond, USA
Fold here, 3 d paper, curated by Deborah McCloud, Ellipse Art Center, Arlington, USA
To the Capital City, Hopkins Gallery, VCU and Ohio State University Exchange Show, Columbus, USA
2002
Night of 1,000 Drawings, Artists Space, New York, USA
Small Works Invitational, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, USA
Holiday Group Show, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond, USA
Options 2002, curate by Victoria Reis, Millennium Arts Center, Washington Project for the Arts/Corcoran Biennial, Washington, DC, USA
Rising Visions, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, USA Nine, Orange Door Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University, MFA Candidacy Show, Richmond, USA
Trans Appalachian Tractor Pull, Hewlett Gallery, VCU and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA
2001
Night of 1,000 Drawings, Artists Space, New York, USA
Selected public collections
WORKS
James Busby, Simple Song, 2019, chalk, graphite, oil and acrylic on wood, 59×35.5 cm
James Busby, Always Alright, 2019, chalk, graphite, oil and acrylic on wood, ø 117 cm
James Busby, Sweep, 2018, chalk, graphite, oil and acrylic on MDF, 51.5×40.5 cm
James Busby, Ocean Eyes, 2019, chalk, graphite, oil, acrylic and spray paint on panel, 70×58.5 cm
