james flynn

James Flynn’s art is the result of an ongoing fascination with the nature of human consciousness. His optokinetic paintings are visual musings on the interface between Quantum Physics, the nature of mind, and perception.

“The new paradigms of Quantum Physics suggest that the true nature of reality is illusory, and that color, form, and sensations are perceptions manifested by the human mind. Through the use of abstract illusionism, ambiguous geometry, Chromoluminarism, and the Pareidolia Effect, Flynn seeks to confront the viewer’s perception of perception itself.” - Flynn

Flynn’s paintings are interactive and intended to be viewed as meditation devices. As the viewer interacts with the painting, the image appears to optically shift with angular position and proximity. The viewer’s perception is challenged as the field of separate visual elements organizes into a single unified whole, or as separate colors coalesce in the viewer’s eyes to create new and different colors. The image is evasive and appears to oscillate from a composite of two-dimensional shapes to a seemingly three-dimensional form.

Flynn achieves these effects through his manipulation of line value, the contrast of opposites, the use of nuanced color harmonies, and the spatial characteristics of chromatic induction (the interaction of color/line/shape based on what’s around it, or how it interacts with visual light). The visual effects are further enhanced by the strategic application of iridescent, interference, metallic, and UV-reactive fluorescent paint.

“The illusory nature of these optical effects, in unison with the elusiveness of image and color, reveals the dynamism of the viewer's ongoing organization of the visual field and, as such, suggests the interactive, ever-changing qualities of our perception.” - Flynn.

In 1989, James Flynn sought out Mexican Surrealist Pedro Friedeberg, whom he considers himself to be a lifelong student. He also counts abstract minimalist Peter Lobello (for whom he worked as a studio assistant, 2003 - 2007), Victor and Yvaral Vasarely, and Georges Seurat among his influences.

A native and current resident of New Orleans, LA, Flynn spent a good part of his life as a mariner. In fact, for 23 years, he piloted ships on the Mississippi River for the Port of New Orleans while maintaining a printmaking studio. In 2005, however, Hurricane Katrina wiped out his studio and his life’s work, ultimately forcing him to innovate his current method of fusing printmaking techniques with his painting.