Approved: 31.10.2013

Linda Jane James

Artist

Approved: 31.10.2013

Leaving behind a career as a management consultant, stepping into the unknown to begin a fine art degree in 1999.  Catalysts for change were the absence of colour - except for brown carpets and black suits, absence of nature - except for 'motivational' images of mountains (to be climbed) in Athena Posters of the 1980s encouraging you to 'Achieve', the absence of time to look through windows - except 'Windows 95'.

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        Artist Statement

        Leaving behind a career as a management consultant, stepping into the unknown to begin a fine art degree in 1999.  Catalysts for change were the absence of colour - except for brown carpets and black suits, absence of nature - except for 'motivational' images of mountains (to be climbed) in Athena Posters of the 1980s encouraging you to 'Achieve', the absence of time to look through windows - except 'Windows 95'.

        Time and transition, wind and change, disruptions and transformations are at the heart of my work.  Gathering fragments and passing moments, giving them time, giving them value.

        My making processes reflect many habits acquired as an accountant and consultant. Process and process transformation, bringing the two worlds of manual and automated processes into collision and integrating them. Challenging the status quo, bringing the oppositional together, breaking down boundaries/silos. Being immersed in chaos and complexity and simplifying, taking the simple and exploring its complexity.  Standardising and innovating. Prepared to think big and being ambitious yet always aware of the budget and the scarce resources, taking what you find and making the best of it.

        Life as an accountant and consultant was peripatetic and project based and this has also fed into my practice.  I make work in series, defining concepts and creating projects.  I have self initiated many residencies with an eclectic range of approaches to my work.

         

         

        Linda has been on an extraordinary journey: coming from a non-academic background, educating herself through night school and further education courses, training as a chartered accountant and ultimately becoming a management consultant with KPMG. It took enormous courage, tenacity and discipline to enter this world but perhaps as much or more to leave it. Perhaps this early career can be seen as an interruption to her progress towards becoming an artist. But the inner journey Linda has been on in order to deconstruct the acquired business values which had nearly overwhelmed her, and reconstruct herself as an artist (which I have witnessed) has been profoundly transformative emotionally as well as intellectually – but it is a process she has clearly relished.

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        Linda has dedicated a large part of her life to learning and her background in business and computing gives her research a rigour, thoroughness and depth which has been of immense value in developing her practice conceptually and in terms of material process. But it is the collision between the rigorous and the random that creates the sparks in Linda’s practice. She fishes in the world and sees what she finds in her net – fragments, detritus, traces of early 21st century culture. These she investigates, analyses, transforms and reconfigures, allowing ambiguities to evolve and new meanings to emerge.

         

        Paul Butler - artist

         

         

         

         

        CV & Education

        LINDA JANE JAMES

        [email protected]         

        07977 059074

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        Solo exhibitions

        2009   Slough Museum - Archifest

        2007   OVADA Oxford – In the Wild Wood

        2006    National Trust, Osterley Park – Bring Me Sunshine

        2005    Small Mansion Arts Centre, Gunnersbury Park - PARKsTALK

        2004    Hopkins Architects – Degrees of Stillness

         

        Group exhibitions

        2017    Wrexham Open

        2013    The Workhouse,  Llanfyllin, Powys

        2013    Sanctuary Outside Inside, Fringe Arts Bath

        2010    MK Fringe Catalogue Show

        2008    Poole Drawing Open – Lighthouse Gallery

        2005    RCA SECRETS, Royal College of Art, London - every year – ongoing,

        2005    Lens Based Open, Surface Gallery, Nottingham

        2005    Weather is Fine Wish you were Great, Small Mansion Art Centre, London

        2005    Recent Graduates Show, New Ashgate Gallery Farnham/Riverhouse Gallery

        2004    Fine Art Awards, Pfizer Head Office, Surrey2004

        2004    Degrees of Stillness – Degree Show, Hockey Gallery, Surrey

        Awards

        2008    Poole Drawing open

        2001    British Journal of Photography – VIVID - short listed

        1999    Corus Inspirations Installation Design- shortlisted

        Residencies & other projects

        2015    Dalston Carnival Peace Mural - assistant on restoration

        2011    Cable Street Mural – assistant on restoration

        2011    Langley Academy – Responding to the Collection art Installation

        2010    Brixton Mural – assistant on restoration

        2010    Langley Academy – Museum Week 

        2008-9 Slough Museum – Archifest & Sure Start Kitchen Stories

        2007-8 Institute for the Future of the Mind, Oxford Where Two worlds collide

        2006    National Trust – Osterley Park – Bring Me Sunshine

        2005    Small Mansion Arts Centre, Gunnersbury Park- ParkSTalk

        2003    Hopkins Architects– Unseasonable Behaviour

         

        Articles

        2017    Economia Magazine - ICAEW - Valuing time over money

        2008   Creative Control Free their minds – Susan Ogier, Art& Design Magazine

        2008   Innovation, Central St Martins

        2007   Collage Conversations REFLECT Lab – Sage Gateshead /Creative Partnerships

         

        Practitioner in School & Community Projects

        2011    Bethnal Green Academy & Allen & Overy – Float for Lord Mayors Show

        2011    Barratt Homes & Beechwood Academy – Bower Haus

        2010    Bethnal Green Technology College and Allen & Overy Justice, Art, People 

        2010    The Frances Bardsley School for Girls -The Arty Place – environment as art

        2010    Slough Museum and Langley Academy – Herschel Park , Mansion of Happiness

        2010    Brentford Toy Library – National Playday - Our place installation

        2010    Crane Park Primary, enquiry school– Enchanted forest chess

        2010    Swipe Music - Slough Digital Imaging – Sound Practices

        2009    Westplay Brentford – National Play Day – Future spaces

        2009    Folkestone Academy – SEGRO Young Artists - Future work

        2009    Wheately Park – Change school - Apocalypse

        2009    Three Oxfordshire Primary enquiry schools – Making spaces

        2009    Hazeley Secondary enquiry school, Milton Keynes – Where two worlds collide

        2008    Intertrash Milton Keynes – Rave Space

        2008    St Lukes Primary, Kingston – The Living Room (recycling and Waste)

        2007    Severn Vale Secondary Advanced Skills – Inventiveness and imagination

        2007    Parlaunt Park Primary School, Slough – Pied Piper

        2005    Putney Primary School and De Morgan Gallery, Wandsworth Kaboom!!!!!!!!!!

        2004    Cranford Primary School, Hounslow – Urban Camouflage

        2003    Leytonstone School, London – Into the Woods

         

        Education

        1999 -2004      BA (Hons) Fine Art (1st)                               Surrey Institute of Art and Design

        1997-1998       BTEC Photography and Digital Imaging        Westminster Adult Education

        1996-1997       Art and Design Modular                                 City Lit

        1995 -1995      City and Guilds Photographing Buildings

        1986 -1990      ICAEW Chartered Accountant                       KPMG

        1985 -1986      Accountancy Foundation                               Polytechnic Central London

        1983 -1985      BTEC Business and Finance (distinction)      Bedford College

        1981 -1983      BEC National Diploma Business Studies       Bletchley College of FE

         

        Other education experience

        2011                Arts Award Trainer                                        Arts Award

        2010                Philosophy for children                                  Sapere

        2009                Mentor, Developing Young Leaders               OYAP, Bicester

        2009                REFLECT LAB co-mentoring                        Sage Gateshead

        2009                Global Citizenship practitioner                      Reading solidarity Centre

        2009                Certificate in Business sustainability             ICAEW

        2009                Certificate Making spaces. Making places     Homes and Communities Association

        2008                Arts Development Leadership                       Big Foot Arts

        2008                Co- Mentoring - REFLECT                           Creative Partnerships

        2008                Coach Mentor Training                                  Eric Parsloe

        2007-2008       Mentor                                                            Create to Learn

        2004                Artist Development Mentoring                      University for the Creative Arts

        2004-2006       Charity Management/education                      Small Mansion Arts Centre

        2000                Developing Creativity Mentoring                  Hounslow Borough Council

        1999-2002       Creative Coach/Appreciative Enquiry            Building Community Through Arts 

        1992-1995       Mentor                                                            Princes Youth Business Trust

         

         

        Work history

        1999-present   Visual Fine Artist

        Practicing fine artist creating works from found materials and developing opportunities for participatory art practice that explore spaces, places and our impact on the environment

        1999-2011 Drawing at Work 

        Assisting in the delivery of colour and drawing workshops to architects  (Arup/Richard Rogers/Hopkins/Make)

        2011 - present  Oriel Brooks  - owner/artist

        Restored an old school house in Wales.   Artist led business for workshops and exhibition space for contemporary art, international exchange and creative development programmes for artists, business people and young entrepreneurs

        1999 - present EDUCE – drawing out potential / T.E.A Projects– Owner/consultant

        Using arts and business skills to inspire and develop creativity in business and education, often working in partnership with other organisations.  Coach mentoring, delivering workshops and acting as an agent for change for Lead Creative Schools - Arts Council Wales

         

        2007-2011 Creative Junction & Creative Partnerships Change & Enquiry Schools

        Creative Agent working with head teachers, senior leadership teams to introduce Creative Learning practices and processes.  Working with teachers and young people to engage and reflect on creative practice and introduce new ways of working.  Recruiting artists and guiding on project initiation and development, management of budgets and reporting on progress and project impacts. 2011-2015  Associate Creative Junction - Art and Enterprise

        2007-2008 REFLECT Sage Gateshead  & Creative Partnerships National Co-Mentoring - participant working with Primary School Teacher in Birmingham to explore creative practice through reflective practices - ‘Collage Conversations’.  Delivered workshop at Sage Gateshead for concluding conference.

        1997-2007       Origin Consulting /Associate Partners for Change/ Freelance Consultant

        Senior business transformation consultant leading mixed teams of accountants, client staff, programmers to implement accounting systems and new business processes for large international companies, across a number of countries.

         

        1986 -1997      KPMG Management Consulting

        Qualified as a chartered accountant working in audit running small teams and taking responsibility for a diverse range of clients from small family run businesses to blue chip companies.  Transferred to KPMG Management Consulting defining, selecting and implementing accounting systems for large companies progressing onto business process redesign and business transformation/change management consulting.

         

        1983 -1986      Rainbow Publicity, accounts assistant.  William Bayliss & Co Trainee Accountant.

        Voluntary

        2015 - present             Treasurer - Montgomeryshire Outdoor Learning Wales

        2013 – 2015                Trustee  - Arts Connection, Powys

        2009-2012                   Treasurer - Brentford Commuity Council

        2007-2011                   Community participation - OCTINK, Brentford

        2004-2006                   Charity Treasurer/business development  - Small Mansion Arts Centre

        1999 – 2002                Artist mentor/business consultant - Building Community Through Arts           1998-2000                   Treasurer  - MK Voluntary Organisation