James Chronister paints deeply intricate, monochrome paintings. Though landscape in concept, Chronister’s spectral hues and cropped forests proffer tension between abundance and its representation rather than the idyllic and unaffected scenery of canonical landscape painting. Chronister begins his process by photographing the environment surrounding his home in Missoula, Montana. After digitally distorting contrast, focus, and tones, Chronister moves from computer to canvas where minuscule individual marks reveal scrupulous technical application. Onto a white or carefully hued off-white background, Chronister meticulously recreates source photographs by repeatedly applying, shaping, and erasing black oil paint. Precise dry brushing and stippling techniques achieve texture, depth, and refinements of form. The result is a unity of marks presenting veristic, all-encompassing scenes of the natural world.

James Chronister (b. 1978, Helena, MT) earned his MFA from the California College of the Arts, San Francisco and his BFA as from the University of Montana, Missoula. Chronister’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally including at Nino Mier in Los Angeles, CA; Eleanor Harwood Gallery in San Francisco, CA; Eli Ridgway Gallery in Bozeman, MT; Burnet Gallery in Minneapolis, MN; and Circle Culture in Berlin, Germany. His work is included in numerous public collections including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Stanford Hospital, San Francisco International Airport, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, San Francisco General Hospital, Nion McEvoy Family Collection, Paul Wattis III Family Collection, and the Howard Tullman Family Collection. His work has been featured and reviewed in publications including Art Review, Shotgun Review, Artslant, Artists Speak, Sunset Magazine, New American Paintings, and San Diego Story. Chronister lives and works in Missoula, Montana.