James Kao

Painting and Drawing
Faculty

Web page(s)

www.jameskao.org

Background

B.A. Philosophy, University of Chicago
B.F.A. School of the Art Institute of Chicago
M.F.A. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Personal statement

My paintings and drawings record direct and repeated observations, and each reiteration of similar motifs marks an increasing intimacy with the world and moves an observational practice closer to a private meditation. As I find fluidity and familiarity in painting the same table, bowl or orange, I am taken by aspects of the still-life setup that eluded me earlier, so that each successive picture in a series demands additional time to develop and further attention to apprehend. I paint slowly and quietly.

Current Interests

Spring brown trout, summer bass, and fall salmon. Walking, dancing, and ceremony. I am interested in habits that become weather patterns and events that define our seasons. the aligning and temporal disconnect between local gardens and my cupboard, icebox, and dinner plate. I want to find an out of season oyster sandwich.

Experience at SAIC

The lake, from fifteen floors up; the museum, as a repository, center, and thoroughfare; the studios, anticipation, gratification, and relaxation. Chicago holds red-winged blackbirds, gentle souls, and generous artists, and at SAIC I developed an affection for compelling art—simple and complicated, always complex.