James Nares' body of work encompasses painting, sculpture, drawing, film, and video. His paintings seek to capture the moments of their creation, through single brush strokes that are traces of the passage of time and motion across the canvas. Nares' films and videos are also motion studies of the objects recorded and the camera observing them. Tonight, James Nares will present and discuss samples of his paintings and several of his short films and videos, from Roof, Game, and Poles made in 1976 through To Make a Prairie (2010).
"In 1974, artist James Nares came to New York from his native England and jumped right into the downtown scene. It was the beginning of the punk era, and the possibilities were endless. He joined a band, played at CBGB's, continued his painting career, opened art spaces with his friends. And he made films. Nares was part of the celebrated No Wave movement of cross-pollinating filmmakers, musicians and artists. But his style is entirely his own. This is true punk cinema: DIY, super-8mm, no-budget, and aimed straight for the gut. But these are also resolutely art films, with surprising moments of rough yet lyrical beauty." (Film Love, Atlanta).
This program is held in conjunction with the exhibition "Street" and "Pendulum" by James Nares, on view in the Artist Project Space from May 10 to September 3, 2017. Schnitzer Cinema is made possible in part by UO’s Office of Academic Affairs.
