James McArthur Cole is a photographer with a passion for world travel. Through his lens, this artist captures the profound experiences which occur along his journey. He is particularly fascinated by the architectural landscape and the people who occupy it. His own emotions also play a significant role in the art-making progress; the feelings he experiences during his encounters with his surroundings make his work come alive.
James has exhibited his work at a number of galleries and art fairs. In 2016, he was featured as part of Sotheby’s Realty’s New Artist Series, at an exhibition hosted by Bentley and Maserati in Nashville. James is the newest addition to ARTSPACE8’s roster of artists, and will kick things off at the gallery with a solo exhibition of new works entitled, “DILAPIDATED BEAUTY: Romancing the Cuban Aesthetic.”
Join us at ARTSPACE8 for the opening reception on June 24 from 7-9 PM, or visit the gallery in the subsequent weeks to view James’ work. In the meantime, read more about the artist in the following exclusive interview, conducted at the gallery, in which we spoke to James about his work and the inspiration behind it.
ARTSPACE8: Do you have a favorite photograph from among your collections?
James McArthur Cole: I’m always asked this question. Until recently, after listening to a friend of mine—an accomplished, six-time Pulitzer Prize-nominated photographer, Val Mazzenga—speak, I wasn’t sure what my answer was. Then it hit me, after he was asked this very question: his simple answer was “I haven’t taken it yet”; this made me think about why the answer to this question was so hard for me to come by and it really allowed me to get in touch with who I am as an artist and to know that I am still in pursuit of that perfect image. So my simple answer is: I haven’t taken it it yet.
AS8: Are there elements which allow you to more effectively capture the landscape? Does it depend on your emotion? Or perhaps music? Or people?
JMC: Every photo I take is influenced by my emotional side. There has to be a story in the scene for me to take it. Because without the “story,” there will be little possibility for the audience to embrace the image, connect with the image, and make it their own. This brings to mind a picture I took in London—I always wanted to take a photo of a London phone booth; during one of my travels I got a chance to do just that. After months of not knowing what to do with the photo once I edited it, I decided to display it at a local art show. This gentleman stopped by my booth and looked at the picture. Then he left. Then he came back. He looked at the picture again with extreme purpose then he left again. This happened several times. Finally I asked him what was drawing him to the photo of the London phone booth and he finally shared with my wife and I that his nineteen-year-old son had died of cancer, and his son’s last wish was to go to London and take a picture in a phone booth. As he told the story he began to weep what were actually tears of joy, because for him it was a good memory. Me, him and my wife all hugged and cried together. He purchased that photo that day and hung it in his home. I haven’t shown it or sold it since. That was why I photographed that image. That photo was never for me. It was for him. A stranger that I would meet two years after I took that photo. If I can’t touch someone with my photography, then an image is just not worth taking.
AS8: We see you love to explore with your camera; sometimes you capture different angles, perspectives and modify hue and saturation. Can you tell us more about the process?
JMC: It is influenced by my previous practice with sketches and paintings. As a young artist I wanted to capture that reality in my work, so gradually I moved on from working in representative art to photography. Yet because of my early artistic influences, when viewers see my work they often ask, “is this a painting or a photograph?”
AS8: There’s a deep history behind the culture and the people in Cuba. Can you tell us more about the intimate interactions with the people?
JMC: I always read about the history of places I plan to visit. My first visit to Cuba I expected sadness, considering the poverty and the downside of the nation’s economics, but in reality it was the total opposite of what I expected. They were the most vibrant, humble and energetic people I have ever met. People in the streets would approach me as if we were friends for a long time. For some of them—me being an African American—they felt a certain connection to me. There were several moments that the locals would say, “you are me”. I tried my hardest to become part of whatever scene I encountered, immersing myself in the culture. I was not there to just photograph or steal a moment; I was there to create a moment with my interactions with the people and to photograph honest moments.
AS8: What would you consider to be the highlight of the experience for you? The vibrant architecture? Or the people/culture itself?
JMC: Even though I call myself an architectural landscape photographer, for me, it’s not always about the architecture. As I roamed the streets of Cuba I didn’t carry with me an agenda. I simply wanted to capture different aspects of the “beauty” that I encountered as I went along my journey. I truly wanted to be involved in the cultural and artistic aspects of Cuba and to document real life.
AS8: Was there a difficult situation you encountered during your trip to Cuba?
JMC: Not really. It is the safest city I have ever encountered. Very little crime despite its economic situation.
AS8: How often do you travel?
JMC: 4-5 times a year. I love to travel to small towns in other countries. I am always amazed by the hospitality and kindness of the citizens whenever I travel. I’m always full of questions and I’m very curious. I genuinely love people. Meeting new people and learning about different cultures. It’s why I travel.
AS8: Is there a hobby or work besides photography?
JMC: I like video games, it’s my outlet from my never-ending artistic thoughts. But my other real loves—outside photography—are music and fashion. In my opinion, music, fashion and photography are all like poetry. They flow with purpose.
AS8: Lastly, what camera do you favor most and why?
JMC: My Nikon D810. Even though I have many others, I feel the most comfortable with this camera. We create great rhythm and harmony together. It’s a friend of mine.
I have seen his photographs last summer at an art festival. It’s amazing to look at in person especially life sized.