James Hoolsema, leaving his profession in the financial field behind, began pursuing a love of taking pictures seriously. His path to considering himself a fine arts photographer has, however, taken a lifetime in the building, as he has always considered his interest in photography more than a hobby. He had his first one man show at YT Galleria in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2002. His works are hanging in several office buildings in downtown GR, as he did a series of black and white photographs of the downtown area. He went on to do juried outdoor art shows from Michigan to Florida, and after moved to Port Orange, Florida, in 2004. Eventually he jointed the Casements Camera Club, The Art League of Daytona Beach, and the Artists' Workshop, and has participated in their exhibits. For two years he maintained a studio/gallery with his artist wife at the Hub on Canal, where he exhibited and sold his work. Having built frames for his work as well as his wife's, he had gone on to build frames and cradled wood for many artists in the community. In between the frame building, his path has taken him into finding the abstract and essence in a subject that he photographs, as is indicated by his current work.
He is pleased to have participated in Art Prize Grand Rapids, the world's largest exhibit with participants around the world, with his conceptual project "The Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant". In 2012 he and his wife participated in their joint exhibit "Texture Explored", and more recently they both participated in the "He Said, She Said" exhibit at the Art League of Daytona. The 2015 Halifax Oyster Festival selected him as their poster artist for that year's festival, and this took him on a challenged research quest to create a photo depicting "the oyster."
Artist's Statement
Landscape and scenic subject matter is my primary photographic interest. I like to look for viewpoints or objects that the casual observer may not immediately see or take an interest in. Additionally I have developed a fascination with photographing abstractions in nature. Beyond basic photography I also like to stretch my imagination in creation of conceptual art involving photographic images.
Peripheral to photography, but related to the artistic world, I make basic frames for other artists, custom wooden cradles for use as a painting or encaustic surface plus I make wood display pedestals for sculpture and other 3-D art.