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    Columbus Makes Art Presents James Hartunian on Combining Art and Science


    James Hartunian, artist in Columbus

    “My pieces can often feel stormy and dystopic, but I’m actually very optimistic about the world”

    — James Hartunian, Artist

    James Hartunian will be one of the artists from this year’s Ohio State Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Thesis Cohort featured in Big Cloud at Urban Arts Space, showing February 14–March 18, 2023. We chatted with him about his influences, studio space, and how he connects to the exhibition’s theme.

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    Angelica: Could you share more about the space where you produce your art?
    James: My studio is half workshop, half laboratory. I have a collection of 3D printers that constantly print out parts for my work. At my desk, I have various pliers, crimpers and wire cutters. I find myself soldering wire almost every day. Most of the things I make are electronic objects, so I often spend time prototyping circuits and coding.

    Angelica: Who is your biggest influence as an artist?
    James: I feel like it changes every week. The visual artist I always think about is Olafur Eliasson. He uses the natural world and its properties to make large-scale works that induce awe. Picture an algae-filled pond taking up an entire floor of a museum or massive iceberg chunks being moved to a European plaza.

    I’m also an avid reader of sci-fi, and I have found Kim Stanley Robinson’s novels foundational in my approach to making work. A fiction author has an idea and explores it as a thought experiment. In Robinson’s case, his Mars trilogy asks how the colonization of Mars would play out and what possible repercussions could come from it. My approach to making work happens in a similar way; I have a question, and I explore all its possibilities.

    Angelica: What’s the best thing about the Columbus art scene right now?
    James: My favorite thing about the Columbus art scene is its variety of art spaces. Beyond institutions like the Columbus Museum of Art, there are a lot of galleries, which most cities of Columbus’ size don’t have. Beyond variety, I think accessibility is my favorite thing. Most people have this image in their heads of galleries being these places that only very wealthy art collectors go, but in reality, they’re public-facing spaces meant to share art with the rest of the world. Look at Franklinton Fridays, for example. Large parts of the community are invited into spaces like ROY G BIV and the art studios at 400 West Rich. It’s great to see so many people wander into spaces that normally they don’t know—or feel—are for them.

    Artist James Hartunian's studio.
    Artist James Hartunian‘s studio.
    Artwork by James Hartunian.
    Artwork by James Hartunian.

    Angelica: How does your artwork connect to the exhibition’s title of Big Cloud?
    James: Ironically, all my work for the show references or thinks about water. And what is a cloud except for a big pile of water vapor in the sky? Beyond the literal connection to clouds, my work relates in that clouds can be stormy or billowy cumulus clouds, like the ones that fill the sky during summer in Columbus. My pieces can often feel stormy and dystopic, but I’m actually very optimistic about the world. All the works of my cohorts in the show have these throughlines of materiality, collection and emotion, and we come together to make one big cloud full of different atoms.

    Big Cloud offers an inspiring look at a diverse group of emerging artists from The Ohio State University Department of Art. Check the UAS website for more information about the exhibition, which will be held at Urban Arts Space from Feb. 14–March 18, 2023.

    Columbus Makes Art Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting and advancing the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. The column is a project of the Art Makes Columbus campaign, telling the inspiring stories of the people and organizations who create Columbus art. Learn more about local artists, organizations, public art and events at ColumbusMakesArt.com.

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    Angelica Smith-Williams
    Angelica Smith-Williamshttps://uas.osu.edu/
    Angelica Smith-Williams is a professional writing intern at Urban Arts Space.
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