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Linda Jane James

Welshpool
Fine Artist and Creative Agent

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

 

 

 

 

 

LINDA JANE JAMES

linda@lindajanejames.com         

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                     

 

 

 

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