I like to see the good in your art. Art accompanied by well-written criticism elevates the profile of you and your work. My criticism adds value to your art by elucidating its qualities through a style of writing that seeks to increase viewer engagement- the very lifeblood of art. I write criticism, critique, biography and memoir that are objective in mode yet beautifying and conversational in style. My writing serves not just to entertain, but to describe and explain, endorse, encourage engagement and discussion, and construct feedback. Scroll through my LinkedIn page to see examples.
My criticism emerged over 19 years during my own practice as an artwork-selling artist, and developed in the company of amateur and professional artists. In addition to training as a writer, I hold numerous degrees that look at the art object, its creation and the way people experience it. My MA Philosophy dissertation on a topic in art criticism is entitled ‘Objectivity and Realism in Critical Aesthetic Judgement’ (supv. Prof. Derek Matravers).
I am usually found with my head in an aesthetics book, in an art studio, or attending one of the many art Meetup groups. I am a graduate member of the British Society of Aesthetics and the British Postgraduate Philosophy Association and I currently perform an Art Director role where I can indulge in the ideas, creative process, marketing, curating and exhibiting of artworks on a wide range of subjects in a wide range of media.
I have a wide-ranging arts degree, which includes art history among other disciplines, where I first came across abstract art. I went on to develop my own artistic practice, first training as a painter but then developing an artistic repertoire covering a wide range of artistic media, techniques, and subjects. I describe myself as a colourist, and I have a preference for oil paint, collage and digital illustration. My current work is on a mixed-media series of poetic art entitled 'The Silent Chak'.
James Henry
Edinburgh, March 2025