James Bourbon

A self-taught visual artist working across painting, collage, photography and installation. My practice explores the visual residue of modern life, the symbols, slogans and fragments that shape memory, identity and belief. Drawing from a personal archive of found imagery, printed ephemera and mass media, I create layered, graphic-driven works that speak to myth, consumerism and collapse.

My approach is rooted in research and remix. The pieces often begin with deep dives into the past, sourcing everything from QSL cards and comic books to advertising and newspaper clippings, before cutting, combining and reworking them into new forms. The result is work that blurs the line between nostalgia and critique, challenging what we inherit and what we consume.

I’ve exhibited across Australia and internationally, including in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Chicago and London. Recent highlights include being selected for State of the Art: Reimaging Queensland at Rockhampton Museum of Art, launching my book Many Types of Horror at the Institute of Modern Art Gallery Shop and my 2023 solo show Physical Reality at Backwoods Gallery in Melbourne.