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Shop Tour
The Oddly Compelling Art of James Kitchen
Text and Photography by Adrienne Bossi, University of Massachusetts Amherst Journalism
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Down the paved asphalt drive, past the secret of the universe, the butler,
a five foot tall eye ball, and other characters in this strange procession
of misfits lies the workshop. The madman’s workshop, in Chesterfield
Massachusetts. The madman, however, is not mad at all. James Kitchen,
towering a full foot and half over my meager 5’3” frame often
calls himself a mad scientist. Gifted artist
is more fitting. His “oddly compelling art” as his business
card describes it, is part science, part imagination, part “historian,”
and part “archeologist.”
His sculptures are welded together from old rusted metal objects. Farm
tools, car parts, junkyard scraps. “The trick is to get this cold
lifeless metal animated,” James said. “If people were looking
at it in pieces on the ground it would mean nothing.”
“On some level,” he says, “everything is autobiographical.”
The last piece is always his favorite. Right now, that would be a calming
piece titled ‘Haiku’. Tied with Haiku as his favorite is a
towering sculpture standing roughly nine feet tall. It is a rhythmic
conglomeration of gears, leading lines, and swooping circles like the
rings of Saturn. “This,” he says, “is the 'Universe Revealed ’ It was inspired by Albert Einstein’s belief
that imagination is more important than knowledge.”
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"Universe Revealed" |
It all started one summer day eight years ago on a family vacation at Wells Beach, Maine. James has always been an artistic person; his refinished basement is littered with dozens of antique instruments, sketches, and paintings. On the beach that day James began stacking rocks. By the end of the day, he had stacked hundreds of rocks in dozens of piles. A woman walked by asked, “Who’s the artist?” If there was ever a real “Aha!” moment it was then. James remembers thinking, “Wow!, I'm an artist. I want to be an artist!” So that’s what he did.
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"Haiku" |
James still works a daytime 8-6 job with upwards of 70 hours a week. After time with his family, he dedicates the rest of his time to his art work. “When you do get the freedom to do it, you have this manic build up. I’ll work in the cold, without heat and it doesn’t bother me because I’m so into it.” But James’ mind is always on his art. “My subconscious is always working. I have vivid color dreams. I keep a pen with a little light next to my bed. I’ wake up with Eureka eyes and write down new ideas.”
