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James Ackhurst
James Ackhurst, Jealousy, 2010
James Ackhurst is a Sydney-based painter who references iconic imagery from literature, Christianity and popular culture, often in a compositional style drawn from the principles of neo-classicism.
However, Ackhurst’s depictions of vampires, monsters, religious figures and celebrities in classical settings creates an uneasy but ultimately captivating dichotomy between what is understood as neo-classicism and the artist’s own narrative. Within this unsettled frame the artist’s self-portrait often appears ‘in character’ within the dynamics and theme of each painting.
Ackhurst’s body of work is significant not just because of its prolificacy, but because it assimilates divergences and misconceptions both in style and context. Based at Macquarie Hospital Studio in Sydney’s North West, Ackhurst’s technical proficiency challenges perceptions of art created within a mental health context and “provides demonstrable proof of the presence of genuinely talented artists within the health system” (Hugh Nichols, 2011). The often challenging content of the works represent a detailed and sophisticated awareness of the works within a contemporary art context, while simultaneously parodying the style he references.
Written by Jessica Miller AART.BOXX committee.