Intro and interview by Andrew Jeffrey Wright
When you look at a Jim Houser painting, you could be observing a single thought put onto canvas, as depicted in a minimal piece, or with his more maximal works you may be seeing an idea in development as your eyes move about the piece. Scanning the many images and words, a story develops.When you enter into one of Jim’s installations, these two experiences are amplified as you walk through the physical manifestations of his brain waves. Some paintings create a finished one word story while others, covered with language and images, leave you intrigued with the feeling of reading an unfinished novel. You hear music that Jim wrote and recorded. There are handmade plants, stacks of amps, and paint covered basketballs. The walls are covered with paintings––the walls are paintings.
Jim seems to have the same art show philosophy today that he did 12 years ago. When he had his first solo show at Space 1026, Jim said after he was done installing it, “Hey, I’m having an art show, bring an overnight bag and some snacks.”
