photo·synthesis
James Tapscott
August 8 - September 21, 2024
GOCA Project Space
Ent Center for the Arts
photo·synthesis
James Tapscott
James Tapscott (born 1980, Perth, Australia) is an artist known for his use of light as a medium, creating minimalist sculptural installations in natural settings. Works like Arc ZERO: Nimbus, currently installed on the pond in Green Mountain Falls as part of the 2024 Green Box Arts Festival, seem to merge with their surroundings as an extension of the environment. This philosophy is one that Tapscott refers to as “site responsive,” an approach that moves beyond site specificity into reciprocal relationship with the setting. His sculptural interventions immerse the viewer while framing the world, drawing attention to environmental phenomena like air currents, water ripples, or color temperature.
photo·synthesis features photographs of the Arc ZERO series documenting installations around the world, alongside imagery from the artist’s Ice Core Studies, another series with strong Colorado connections. Begun during a residency at Swoon Art House through the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) in 2018, this series of kaleidoscopic images is comprised of macro-photographs of Antarctic ice samples housed at Denver’s National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility (NCF-ICF), some more than 400,000 years old. Through this exhibition, we seek to synthesize Tapscott’s affinity for natural phenomena and organic materials through photography, a medium that is itself dependent upon the presence of light.
You can see more of James Tapscott’s work in Drip|Run|Freeze|Crack|Melt at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, CO from July 26 - September 21 and at the pond in Green Mountain Falls, CO through the rest of the summer season.
Read an original essay about James Tapscott’s work by GOCA’s Director and Curator, Joy L. Armstrong, Ph.D.
IMPORTANT DATES
Exhibition on View
August 8 - September 21, 2024
Opening Reception:
August 8, 2024, 5:00-7:00 pm
Artist remarks at 6:00 pm
GOCA Project Space
Gallery hours:
Thursday - Saturday, 1 - 6 p.m.
or by appointment
email: gallery@uccs.edu
call: 719.255.3504
About
James Tapscott
James Tapscott is a multi-disciplinary artist who works directly with nature and light, producing profound sensory experiences. For over 15 years he has been working on site-based projects in diverse and extreme natural environments while expanding into urban areas with commissioned, permanent works. His collaborative approach allows the site to express itself uniquely, connecting the viewer to often unseen phenomena and allowing nature to speak with a new voice.
The artist's work has garnered international recognition, with works installed extensively across Australia, the United States, Europe, and Asia. Tapscott’s innovative approach to environmental art has been acknowledged with accolades including a CODAwards Landscape win in 2022 and as a two-time finalist for the prestigious Aesthetica International Art Prize (2018 and 2021). His permanent public commissions can be found in various locations, including Perth, Shenzhen, and Kaohsiung with upcoming permanent installations include sites in Seoul, Melbourne, Wuhan and Oklahoma City. In addition to his studio practice, James Tapscott is the founder, curator, and director of Globelight, a biennial light art and design show with satellite locations, fostering a community of artists working with light and promoting innovative approaches to environmental art.
Photos and Videos by Stellar Propeller Studio, Joshua Dorado, and Lynné Bowman Cravens, for the Galleries of Contemporary Art at UCCS, 2024