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James Groleau was born in Lewiston, Maine, in 1960. He is self-taught. His first serious drawings were political posters aimed at discouraging registration for a military draft. Later, after three months of human rights work in Guatemala, he rendered a series of drawings on indigenous life in the highlands for which he received grants from the A. J. Muste Memorial Institute and the Haymarket People's Fund. This work was reproduced in a limited edition book of 300. In 1992 Groleau published his second book "For the Love of Gods," based on a series of drawings on same-sex love. Since 1995 he has devoted his attention and efforts to creating mezzotints. His works have appeared in numerous exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad. He is currently a member of the California Society of Printmakers and the Bay Printmakers of San Francisco, and is a board member for the Graphic Arts Workshop, a printmaking cooperative. He lives in San Francisco with his partner, writer and activist John Lindsay-Poland.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Flowers of Turbulence is a suite of sixteen color mezzotints comprised of eight portraits and eight floral irnages. The paradoxical title of Baudelaire's book of poems Les Fleurs du Mal served as initial inspiration. Not only did it influence the title I was to choose, but it set the tone for the images that followed. The first images conceived and executed were of flowers. Only later did it occur to me to include portraits, which would round out the series by providing some weight and substance. I was drawn to the vaguely haunted look of 19th century daguerreotypes, particularly to the portaiture of children, and relied on examples of this genre for ideas on facial expression. I chose to depict medieval garb for the brilliant color and flamboyant designs reminscent of flowers. I extended the correlation between portrait and flower by giving the portraits Latin titles, an allusion to botanical names.
Each image of Flowers of Turbulence can be viewed as a manifestation of a turbulent society. Greed, compassion, and obedience are examples of three qualities depicted. My intention was to render a series of images which conveys the idea that from an inhospitable, if not hostile, environment beauty will inevitably arise.
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