Artist Statement
CV
James Kroner grew up in direct opposition to his exterior world. There seemed a stark contrast between his normal suburban lifestyle and all those inner adversities of a troubled youth. The two could not be made to fit together and this gave birth to a need, a need to write. By the time he was in high school he would sit at local coffee shops to thoroughly document the disparity between a society consumed by capitalism and the need to find freedom of mind and soul. Page after page was written fueled by the blind enthusiasm to understand himself, thus carrying him through years of journal writing. The road to realization came from this ritual. Again he could return to the solitude and silence of the written page and find meaning within the throes of worldly distraction.
This same world held much visual interest and fascination to him as well. Kroner began studying art in his early twenties and eventually deliberated to pursue it over his longstanding study of philosophy. Something clicked for him while drawing a series of gesture poses from a figure modeling class and it was from this click, that happened again and again, which opened his mind to the path he would take.
During his MFA at the Academy of Art University S.F., James cultivated a powerful shift in focus driven towards self development as a painter. He received numerous awards including first place for landscape painting 2010 annual Spring Show and a full scholarship to study in Italy for the summer of 2011. Through his process of writing he is able to grasp his vision, moving him forward in painting.
We see an incredible awareness of light and atmosphere within his scenes, glowing with an ethereal vitality as if they were actually alive and moving. From across the room his scenes take on a striking sense of reality in some areas and in other areas diverge into an orchestral arrangement of tone and color, dissolving away from form altogether, yet maintain a wonderful harmony as a whole. There is a vigorous presence and a fragility, as if while painting he would much rather depart from safe ground and risk loosing the painting altogether rather than to be safe, producing a work that is just o.k. He is continually shifting his techniques to fit with an end result.
Showing in several galleries Kroner has already caught the attention of collectors and enthusiasts. This young emerging artist shows a keen ability and growing reputation looking to be just the beginning of a long, adventurous career.