Updates:

5/22/12 -

Well hello there!  Though I was a finalist in the 2012 Hunting Art Prize I did not win.  Better luck next year!  3 new paintings are added, 1 to the Textual Healing series and 1 commission (which isn’t really a commission but a gift)

1/22/2012 -

Lots of new stuff!  Okay, not lots in quantity, but it has been a lot of TIME in the making. 2 new pieces added to “paintings” and 1 to “drawings,” all part of the Textual Healing series.  Also, I did a commission this past fall which is added to that section and you’ll find very amusing.  PS: Come to the show on the left!  My newest stuff will be up and Devon and Michelle are both some of the most awesome painters/artists in town!

9/2/2011 -

The maps from yesterday were useless, so I put some google maps widgets on the site.  I couldn’t them to fit any smaller, so the show banners are justified further left than I want.  I apologize for the clutter, but the site does say “artist,” not “web designer” at the top :)
ALSO, uploaded a drawing from this spring, a rather dark portrait.

Please welcome Matilda Clare Lassen to the family!  She was born on 3/17/2012 and has been a huge part of me and my wife’s lives since.  Here she is looking very profound.

The work I make depicts my world from an observational standpoint, and since the majority of my thought processes involve how I relate to people, social interaction has developed into a consistent theme for my paintings.  From situations such as putting up with co-workers to merely coexisting with strangers, interaction or awareness of people is something everyone feels.  I'm drawn to the smaller and seemingly less important ideas, such as using cellphones or waiting impatiently in line.  Painting such scenes allows the canvas to become a platform for a sort of visual ranting.  I focus carefully on facial expressions and body language, keeping in mind how all of the figures communicate with each other as well as with the viewer.  Formal elements such as color and value are used to heighten tension and exaggerate expressions, taking situations beyond what real life has to offer.  Usually, the subjects are rendered with strict representation, but symbolic inserts have been making their way into the work to add a more critical and often humorous touch.  With human behavior being so multi-faceted, I strive to create work that does justice to even the most two-faced act.  Communication and interaction seem to only provide us with more questions, thus requiring a deeper investigation. For the audience, I offer little monuments that show just how many mixed emotions even the slightest glance can conjure.

Questions?  Comments?  Interested in a purchase or commission?  Email me at jameslassen@gmail.com and I’ll be sure to get back to you!

Matilda does occasionally allow daddy to paint still.  Here’s evidence of new work!  I’ve got plenty more pieces to do in this vein as well.