Artist Statement

I began working with clay in 1974, when, as a teenager, I dedicated myself to capturing a sense of form and balance in traditional ceramics. My work has since evolved from wheel-thrown vessels to contemporary art pieces that I create in my private studio in Mokelumne Hill, CA.

My artistic career began as a dancer. I earned a B.F.A. in Dance from North Carolina School for the Arts in 1984. That same year I embarked on a 15-year performing career dancing and choreographing original works as a member of Nikolais Dance Theatre, Erick Hawkins Dance Company, Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, among others.

My current work is an abstract expression of the urban/human condition. Pathway and structure are elements that play a significant role in my development of ideas and are portrayed in non-representational, linear ways. Whether executed as a three-dimensional form or as markings on a flat surface, my concern is for the line itself and how it relates to the surrounding space. I am devoted to the task of making objects from clay and feel that the clay itself is an important component of my work. It's fitting that, since our constructed environments are made from clay, my work should be also.

I have exhibited my work nationally and have done many commissions for corporate and private spaces.

Recent Exhibitions

"What in the World", 2011 - Commerce Bank of California, Lafayette, CA
"Fire and Ice", 2011 - Petaluma Art Center, Petaluma, CA
"ACGA @ DAC", 2011 - Davis Art Center, Davis, CA
"White", 2011 - Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
"Five Dimensions", 2010 - Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
"Eight From ACGA", 2010 - Davis Art Center, Davis, CA
"Objects of Virtue", 2009 - Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
"Small Ceramic Wonders", 2009 - Crossman Gallery, Whitewater, WI
"CraftForms", 2008 - Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
"Drawn Lines", 2008 - Idyllwild Gallery of Fine Art, Idyllwild, CA
"Flatlanders", 2008 - Richard L.Nelson Gallery - UC Davis, Davis, CA
"New West Coast Design", 2008 - SF Museum of Craft + Design, San Francisco, CA
"Plates and Platters", 2007 - Pewabic Pottery Gallery, Detroit, MI
"American Craft Council Show", 1997-2011, Baltimore, MD
"Assoc of Clay and Glass Artists", 2001-2011, Palo Alto, CA
"Small Works", 2006 - Red Dot Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
"Clay, Color and Composition", 2005 - Idyllwild Gallery of Fine Art, Idyllwild, CA

Commissions and Collections

Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA
Fratello Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Atlanta GA
Kitsap Credit Union, Bremmerton, WA
Lake Buena Vista Hotel, Orlando,FL
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
Northwest Mutual, Milwaukee, WI
SF MOMA Museum Store, San Francisco, CA
Sodexo USA, Gaithersburg, MD
Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Milwaukee, WI
U.S. Embassy, Ottawa, Ontario
Valley Health Center, Milpitas, CA
Wilkes Bashford, San Francisco, CA
Wyndham Hotel, Tampa, FL

Awards

2011 - Award of Excellence, American Craft Council - San Francisco
2009 - Third Place, Ceramics, Scottsdale Arts Festival
2005 - First Place, Members Show, Art Alliance of Idyllwild

Publications

"Profile - James Aarons" - handful of salt (November 2011)
"The Journey - James Aarons' long-time dance with ceramics" - American Craft (August, 2011)
"Contemporary Objects at the SF Museum of Craft + Design" - American Craft (February, 2008)
"Up Front" - Ceramics Monthly (February 2008)
"American Art Collector" - Alcove Books (2006-9)
"Fascinating Art" - Amador Ledger Dispatch (June 2005)
"The Gallery" - Clay Times (September 2002)
"Hands in Clay" by John Toki - Mayfield Publishing Company (1999)
"A Crafty Trio" - San Francisco Examiner/Habitat (August, 1997)
Table & Cadeau International (October, 1995)
"What's New" - San Francisco Chronicle (August 2, 1995)
Bon Apetit (April, 1995)
"90s Pastiche" - San Francisco Examiner Magazine (May 15, 1994)