In James Gortner’s work, painting
becomes a site of transformation. Here, past lives of materials, images,
and intentions converge. His surfaces are sculptural and layered,
composed of reconstructed artist's paintings and reclaimed paint with
history embedded in their very texture. Drawing from spiritual practice,
dream logic, and art historical tradition, he forges visual languages
that reflect the chaos, hope, and interconnection of the present moment.
In James Gortner’s work, painting
becomes a site of transformation. Here, past lives of materials, images,
and intentions converge. His surfaces are sculptural and layered,
composed of reconstructed artist's paintings and reclaimed paint with
history embedded in their very texture. Drawing from spiritual practice,
dream logic, and art historical tradition, he forges visual languages
that reflect the chaos, hope, and interconnection of the present moment.
Gortner studied at The Art Students League of New York and received
his MFA from Columbia University. His work has been exhibited at the
Fisher Landau Center for the Arts (New York), Mana Contemporary (New
Jersey), San Bernardino County Museum (California), the Museum of
Contemporary Art MAC (Chile), and the RW Norton Art Museum (Louisiana).
His work has been featured in print in New American Paintings, New
American Art Collector Magazine, Men’s Journal, Archatectural Digest,
and The Berliner, among other publications. His art is in numerous
private collections, including President Jiang Zemin of China and
actress Reese Witherspoon. James Gortner lives and works in the West
Village of New York City.
Ground Breakage II → Bell Labs NYC (2024-ongoing)
The poetry of these works lies not only in their materials and technique but also in the location of their creation: the former Bell Laboratories in Manhattan. This historic site, the birthplace of groundbreaking inventions such as nuclear bombs and energy, the transistor radio, lasers, C coding, digital cameras, and solar power, provides a rich contextual backdrop. I apply recycled colors directly to the old laboratory floor before reversing them onto canvas, along with some residual layers of older factory paint and detritus. My dried paint, along with the existing factory paint, forms a physical memory of the floor. By applying my painting innovation here, I echo an abstraction of time and proximity to a place where these world-changing innovations were founded over the past century.
What sets these paintings apart is their ability to embody the spirit of formal abstraction and conceptual art while remaining intriguingly representational. They evoke images of old tile floors or ancient mosaic walls, straddling the line between realism and abstraction. While bearing little resemblance to the actual floors from which they were molded, these paintings offer a trompe l’oeil-like, realistic presentation of an imaginary location.
While Bell Labs’ inventions have undeniably advanced society, they have also contributed to current environmental and wellness challenges. The brightly colored and abstracted Bell Labs grid present in each piece serves as both an homage to and a critique of our 20th century’s linear view of Art and Science history. By drawing a poetic fold through time and disciplines, this body of work celebrates human endeavor and our ongoing quest to better understand the universe, both within and beyond conventional frameworks.
JAMES GORTNER
Landscape With Universal Windows, 2024
Reclaimed oil and acrylic paint on linen w/glitter glass (excerpt Bell Laboratories) 54 in x 45 in
/ 137 cm x 114 cm
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JAMES GORTNER
Textbook Exploding Meme, 2024
Reclaimed oil and acrylic paint on linen w/glitter glass (excerpt Bell Laboratories) 54 in x 45 in
/ 137 cm x 114 cm
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JAMES GORTNER
Renew You, 2025
Reclaimed oil and acrylic paint on linen w/glitter glass (painted on excerpt Bell Laboratories) 54 in x 45 in
/ 137 cm x 114 cm
(Private Collection) JAMES GORTNER
Dream Calculator, 2024
Reclaimed oil and acrylic paint on linen w/glitter glass (excerpt Bell Laboratories) 54 in x 54 in x 45 in
/ 137 cm x 114 cm
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JAMES GORTNER
Cats Game Of Chance, 2024
Reclaimed oil and acrylic paint on linen w/glitter glass (excerpt Bell Laboratories) 27 in x 36 in / 68.5 cm x 91.5 cm
JAMES GORTNER
Super Computer, 2024
Reclaimed oil and acrylic paint on linen w/glitter glass (excerpt Bell Laboratories) 54 in x 45 in
/ 137 cm x 114 cm
(Private Collection)
JAMES GORTNER
Information Ocean, 2024
Reclaimed oil and acrylic paint on linen w/glitter glass (excerpt Bell Laboratories) 54 in x 45 in
/ 137 cm x 114 cm
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JAMES GORTNER
The Hottest Flame, 2024
Reclaimed oil and acrylic paint on linen w/glitter glass (excerpt Bell Laboratories) 54 in x 45 in
/ 137 cm x 114 cm
(Private Collection)
JAMES GORTNER
Twinning With Screaming Demons, 2024
Reclaimed oil and acrylic paint on linen w/glitter glass (excerpt Bell Laboratories) 27 in x 36 in / 68.5 cm x 91.5 cm
JAMES GORTNER
Dragon Inside Ten Thousand Suns, 2024
Reclaimed oil and acrylic paint on linen w/glitter glass (excerpt Bell Laboratories) 54 in x 45 in
/ 137 cm x 114 cm
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