ARTIST STATEMENT:

n this body of work I am interested in slowing the process of making paintings so that the act of seeing is focused and concentrated. The format of the paintings is consistent so they appear to be related to one another both conceptually and thematically. Each painting can stand on its own but I am also interested in the dialogue from painting to painting. Each painting has a field that is intricate (almost obsessive) and labor intensive. These fields are built of horizontal and vertical lines that are a sixteenth of an inch apart. The lines are ruled out but are painted freehand so they have the look of a handmade weave. The nuances of the varying brushstrokes give the fields a shimmering effect that is both intentional and desired In the center of each painting I have placed what I like to call a “primary structure”. These are simple geometric forms that are generated from relationships off the grid. They have the look of being logos. Hopefully they are signifiers of a private world where measure and proportion are of primary importance What I hope to achieve by the juxtaposition of these two systems of painting are painting that are both factual and meditative at the same time. A world that is ordered and measured but open to new possibilities of relationship.

• Untitled, mixed media on panel, each 12 x 12", 2006

implified mathematical formulas are used in creating the geometric grids in the artwork of painter Jim McShea. “What these mathematical systems are about is the act of ordering” says McShea. In this formulated order, the artist fills in the shapes with white oil paint, with an additional color to create yet another set of internal grid patterns within the artwork. These grids, used much like underdpaintings, are drawn and measured using a ruler, yet the dichotomy of the gestural brush strokes which break the ridged outlines become an act of fluid painting, not filling in the blanks and staying inside the drawn lines. In most cases, the works rely on the strength of simplicity and minimal marks and colors - such as white, red and black. In his drawings, the artist will categorize the colors to be used by marking each square with an “R” for red and “B” for black. McShea explains, “I believe that the act of ordering is one of the strongest urges of the will. My paintings are about this duality between that which is concrete and measurable and that which can only be felt.” Painting on mylar, index cards and manila envelopes, the artist transcends the utilitarian use of these materials through his framework of source, creativity and mathematics. In many ways, the graphic nature of the work he creates is influenced contextually and aesthetically by art history. McShea is interested in color theory and artists such as Alfred Jensen, Mondrian and Albers, and influenced by art movements such as Russian Constructivism. Yet, the artist explains, “The works are not so much about what they signify, but about the activity itself - the purpose of engaging in ordering.” Jim McShea is an M.F.A. graduate of the Yale School of Visual Arts, the artist received his undergraduate degree from the Tyler School of Art. McShea lives and works in New Jersey. This is the second solo show for the artist at the George Billis Gallery.

• Installation Details, 2003 • Untitled, pencil and enamel on mylar, 25 x 40", 2003
• Installation Details, 2003
• Installation Details, 2003
• Untitled, Pencil and Metallic Paint on Manila Envelopes, 24 x 18", 2002 • Untitled, Acrylic on Mylar, 24 x 24", 2002
• Untitled, Mixed Media on Paper,10 x 8" each, 2001
• Untitled, Oil on Canvas, 10 x 8", 2001 • Untitled, Oil on Canvas, 13.5 x 11", 2001

• Untitled, Pencil and Acrylic on Mylar, Framed to 33 x 29", 2001 • Untitled, Oil, Pencil, Masking Tape on Index Cards, 12.25 x 17", 2001

• Resume: Jim McShea

• For additional information please email or contact the gallery.   gallery@georgebillis.com

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