Jim Starr: Birds of Paradise

Jim Starr’s Avian influenced paintings flock to the Coningsby Gallery

Beginning October 12th, Jim Starr will exhibit his most recent works, a selection of vivid mixed media pieces focused on avian imagery. The Coningsby Gallery in London will showcase new pieces that marry lifelike depictions of birds with nods to graffiti culture in a thoroughly contemporary way. Bringing together figuration with abstraction, these works seek to blur the borders between genres and create art that defies categorization.

Expressive and bold, Starr’s practice draws on street art and incorporates screen printing, spray paint and watercolour to create what Starr terms a ‘remix’. Drawing on a number of influences, which range from natural history to pin ups, his graphic works have a pop art sensibility and an abstract spontaneity, suggesting a novel, hybrid approach to art making.

Inspired by his expeditions worldwide and wildlife on the Thames, twenty works by Starr will be shown, displaying field sketches of Spoonbills, Herons and Eagles, alongside their final incarnations as large-scale canvases. Starr’s fascination with depicting birds began at just 13 years old. He has worked as an expedition artist throughout his career, recording the wildlife on his trips to Iceland, the Himalayas and the Rockies.

Alongside these works are pieces that pair the avian theme with the depiction of glamorous pin up girls. Some of his figures have disturbed bird-like structures, others with feathered headdresses, both are sultry and seductive.

Using a mixture of original screen printed material, photography, free-hand drawings and collage, Jim Starr creates original and often complex prints, each one uniquely different. Reworked using acrylics and spray paint, Jim’s larger works are often printed onto canvas and transformed through a host of different effects. His process can vary dramatically from a piece with five layers to a work with forty and can take weeks or many months to execute.

Though Starr is influenced by urban street art, he was trained as an artist at the Chelsea London Institute and holds a degree from Kingston University. For over 15 years his mixed media works have been exhibited in the UK, with a total of 90 exhibitions to date. Many of his pieces have gone under the hammer alongside some of the world's most celebrated contemporary artists. Jim Starr’s newest works echo his approach to art making throughout his long career, that of original combinations and constant reinventions.

Private View Wednesday 14th, please RSVP to [email protected]