North Augusta Artists Guild Artist of the Month: Jason Chambers

Jason Chambers is the Artist of the Month for the North Augusta Artists Guild. He was born in Augusta and grew up in the area. After graduating from Westside High School, he moved to California where lived for nine years. He returned to this area in 2007 and currently lives in Graniteville.

Jason says that he has always been interested in art. His father has been the biggest influence on his life. His father was an editorial cartoonist for the Augusta Herald and The Augusta Chronicle. Jason remembers that, as a child, he was fascinated by watching his father draw. His father was his hero and young Jason tried to emulate him in every way. He remembers practicing drawing by copying comic strips like Calvin and Hobbs. He was pleased to have one of his own comic strips published in his middle school newspaper. He knew from a very young age that art would always occupy a large portion of his life.

Jason’s favorite artist is Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. One of his favorite works by this artist is “Guernica” (1937), a dramatic portrayal of the German air force bombing of the town of Guernica in northern Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The attack, which was a cold-blooded training mission, wounded or killed 1,600 civilians and 70% of the town was destroyed. Picasso, a Spaniard, was living in Paris when he learned of the atrocity. "Guernica“ was his response and his memorial to the brutal massacre.

Jason, like his favorite artist, also works in mostly monochrome and his art often contains bold hard-edged shapes that bring to mind mysterious symbols or ancient hieroglyphics that the viewer must decode. He classifies his artistic style as Abstract Expressionism but says it is really a mix of cubism, surrealism and abstraction. He works primarily with pen and ink on paper using black and white or a limited color palette to bring a simplicity and a powerful economy to each piece. This allows the viewer to focus more on shapes and imagery. He prefers to work on a small scale because that feels more personal to him. Recently he has started doing some larger pieces using acrylics on canvas. He occasionally uses other mediums such as pastels and charcoal.

Jason has an unusual working process. He begins each new piece of art with no planned design or sketch. As he works, he lets the image flow and unfold organically as he connects shapes and patterns that interest him. As he makes these connections, he begins to get a feel for what the piece is about. Each piece is a challenge that keeps him guessing until the very end.

This artist wants the viewer to make their own connections as they reflect on each piece of art. This is the way the Surrealists often worked with the emphasis on spontaneous and automatic processes. Their philosophy was often about the implied expression of ideas concerning the spiritual, the unconscious and the mind. This artist does not wait for inspiration to strike. Otherwise, he reports, he might never create anything. One of his favorite quotes is from Picasso, who said “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”

One of the things Jason likes best about making art is the calm meditative state of mind that occurs when an artist is totally focused on their work. He finds this therapeutic and says that this is his way of dealing with the world and for processing the chaos of modern life. Each piece is an experience for him of bringing order and serenity out of chaos, but he is not trying to convey any specific message. He feels that each viewer will see something different. He wants his art to evoke questions and for people to be slightly baffled or confused when they look at his work.

Jason strongly agrees with Picasso’s statement “The world doesn’t make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?” He believes that this sentiment comes through in his art. He also feels that if a person stops to contemplate a piece of art that he has created, then he has succeeded in his work.

Jason enjoys studying French language and culture and is planning a trip to France next year. When time allows, he is also an avid reader of classic literature and thrillers. He has exhibited his work at Art and Soul in Aiken and participated in a holiday show at 4P Studios last December. He will have a solo exhibition at 4P Studios in July. His art can be viewed at his website JasonChambersArt.com and on Facebook at Jasonchambersart. He can be contacted by email at Jasonchambersart@gmail.com.