Jim Shores' curious menagerie of patinaed metal is on display at Kentuck's Museum Gallery from May 5, 2022 to July 4, 2022. Shores' work truly embodies the spirit of folk art and strums the nostalgic strings of our hearts. Rusted Singer sewing machine pieces have been transformed into dancing figures and old Buick parts into lively faces. There is an aura of playful patriotism that weaves its way through the show.
Jim talks about his pieces and his process with a calm sense of confidence and attachment. Some pieces he has had for so long he becomes "almost disappointed" when they sell. Recalling with reminiscent amazement where different parts for his pieces came from, he has an almost 'can you believe it' attitude about a piece's previous function. A common water spout is now a long brooding nose on a piece, taking it from functioning in a kitchen to hanging on a gallery wall.
"My first Kentuck Festival was in 1996. I never dreamed that one day they would have me exhibit my work in a gallery setting."
He likes to have fun with the names of his work saying, "I call them different things over time." The names are usually related to sourced materials. The American Flag made from crushed soda cans is aptly named Ameri-Can Flag. There is also a variety to his work which can range from six inch round faces to three foot angelic sculptures.
Jim Shores is a self-taught artist who creates sculpture, assemblage and environmental art from found/discarded objects. Working full-time as an artist since 1996, Jim exhibits with folk art festivals/shows and galleries and welcomes visitors who visit his home and tour his yard. His work is in the permanent folk art collections of the High Museum of Art (Atlanta, Georgia), Polk Museum (Lakeland, Florida), and the House of Blues (Orlando, Florida) and can be found in many private collections across the United States.
The Things I See in the Rust and Debris will be on view at Kentuck Art Center in Downtown Northport until July 4, 2022. We encourage you to see this show in person! Interested in purchasing a piece from the show? Call Kentuck at 205-758-1257 or email mbell@kentuck.org for more photos and purchasing information. Please click on an image for a closer look.