James Carter

James Carter, the contemporary American artist, combines the dream images of surrealism with the techniques of superrealism to create still lifes with distinctly American roots. His acrylic and airbrush techniques give us a fresh view of familiar things. Like Magritte, Carter delights in juxtaposing unexpected objects. The animate and inanimate appear together. By placing a real object in abstract environments, Carter can make them dissolve, fade, float or move in any way he wishes. Eggs are suspended from wires; pottery fragments sit upright on shelves; camels float in the air. From childhood, he has been fascinated by collections of natural objects. He assembles small collection in his works and dramatizes them by placing them on a mantel or in a box. "I use the mantel as a stage", Carter says, "It's almost like a backdrop to a play. Then the objects become the figures or characters.Cassanetti, Michelle L. is the author of 'James Carter' with ISBN 9780941393188 and ISBN 0941393186.