British-born James Nares became was a central member of the New York art scene in the 70s and early 80s, making experimental Super 8 films, playing in bands, and staging live performances. The following decade, he turned to painting, using handmade brushes to create monumental strokes that seek to capture the very moment of creation. His oeuvre uses similar preoccupations involving space, motion, and time. Nares’ photographic series, New York 1974, records this deserted, dreamlike impression of a long-gone NYC. Nares explains;
“I took these photos in 1974, when I had just arrived in New York at 21 years old. Upon arrival in New York, I was immediately fascinated by the streets. I carried my 35 mm Nikon camera with me at all times. I was particularly drawn to the environment of my neighborhood, TriBeCa. At that time it was a ghost town, with dilapidated buildings neglected after businesses had crumbled. I chose these ten photographs because they capture time and place. This selection of photos emerged from a cache of negatives I recently unearthed; they hadn’t seen the light of day since I took them. Looking back through the film, I was pleased to find the themes I explore in my current works – most notably STREET and even my new body of paintings, ROAD PAINT – are reflected in these early photographs.”
James Nares, New York 1974, ten 16 x 20″ prints, is available in an edition of 25 for $12,000 through Paul Kasmin Gallery.
James Nares, Broadway Rap, 2013, thermoplastic and acrylic on linen, 120 x 96"