Craving subjectivity and rejecting rationality, James Payne’s work looks toward an abstraction firmly rooted in a fascination with ethereal properties of light and lightness of being. In big beautiful baby, there is an emphasis on alchemical states and notions of tenderness and strength (inherent in the maker and the materials he uses) affirmed in the reflective complexion of the work. These sensibilities are expressed through structural pillars and architectural decorative molding that frame a cavalcade of romantic symbols. Cast concrete drowning roses and a union of shiny surfaces (aluminum foil, glass, mirrors) suggest an interplay of attraction with a rougher edge—a periphery intimately aware of fleeting pleasures. Payne’s sculptures represent a wrestling with impermanence and ephemerality. Yet, there is reassurance in an elixir maybe not so apparent, but one that fuels existence: the heart.
