James Bourbon

Brisbane based contemporary artist. 

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James Bourbon
Meanjin/Brisbane based contemporary artist.


Exhibitions & Work
Many Types of Horror
Physical Reality
Various Work
About & Contact
Information
Email
Instagram

James Bourbon


Brisbane, Australia (b. Canberra 1988)

James Bourbon’s artistic practice spans painting, print, sculpture, video, photography, and textiles, all unified by a critical examination of capitalism and consumerism. Drawing inspiration from the relentless flow of advertising and commercial messages in modern life, Bourbon creates artworks that invite thoughtful reflection.

His work features large-scale, monochromatic hand-painted pieces, which include collages made from found imagery such as posters, newspaper clippings, and outdated ephemera like QSL cards. Influenced by Nouveau Réalisme, Bourbon repurposes these forgotten elements into new forms, offering a commentary on waste and the ceaseless cycle of consumption. This approach acts as a form of anti-consumption itself, challenging viewers to reconsider their relationship with consumer culture.

Bourbon’s process involves excavating and remixing past imagery to confront the pervasive nature of consumerism. By employing techniques from the very system he critiques, he aims to disrupt conventional views and spark deeper contemplation.

Through his art, Bourbon challenges us to rethink the future of advertising and its pervasive influence. He prompts viewers to question whether this relentless push to consume will ever recede and to deeply consider how it shapes our values and priorities in a world that incessantly drives us to consume more.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 IMA Gallery Shop, Brisbane (Book Launch & Exhibition)
2023 Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne
2016 Poly Gone Cowboy (ARI), Brisbane
2014 Poly Gone Cowboy (ARI), Brisbane
2012 Forbidden Worlds. HOTBOX Gallery, Chicago (USA)

SELECT GROUP SHOW EXHIBITIONS
2024 Papercuts. Mint Art House, Gold Coast
2023 Works on Paper. China Heights, Sydney
2019 Artist Response (OperaQ & Circa). QPAC, Brisbane
2016 Repro Graphic. Artisan, Brisbane
2016 Bonanza Bazaar. Pine Rivers Regional Gallery, Brisbane
2016 New Wave. Analogue Gallery, Brisbane
2015 Paste Modernism. amBUSH Gallery, Sydney
2013 Not For Rental. 71a Gallery, London (UK)
2013 Urban and Iconic. Hoxton Arches, London (UK)
2012 One Way. Modern Jago, London (UK)

FESTIVALS & LARGE SCALE MURALS
Whitecross Arts Festival, London (UK)
Overground Arts, Peterborough (UK)
UpFest, Bristol (UK)
Hoxton Arches, London (UK)
Valley Fiesta, Brisbane
Laneway Festival, Brisbane
Sydney Fringe Festival
Unframed, Coolum

ART PRIZE FINALIST
2019 Lethbridge 20000 (Finalist).Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
2017 Brisbane Art Prize (Finalist).Judith Wright Centre. Brisbane
2016 Stencil Art Prize (Finalist).Off Broadway Gallery, Sydney