James Lambie (born 1964 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a contemporary visual artist, and was shortlisted for the 2005 Turner Prize with an installation called Mental Oyster.
Lambie was responsible for the filming of the now legendary 1980's 'Splash One' club in Glasgow.
This rare footage has emerged on various television programmes and in films about the independent music scene in Scotland during the eighties.
Most recently 'Teenage Superstars' directed by the filmmaker Grant McPhee, which
surveyed bands from the alternative pop music scene in Glasgow from the mid 80's to early 90's.
Style
“..Known for visually compelling, generous and beguiling work which attracts both popular and critical acclaim, Lambie came to prominence with Zobop, a floor-based sculptural intervention that consists of continuous lines of multi-coloured vinyl tape laid in concentric circuits of a room from its outside edges to its centre..." MutualArt article
Lambie specialises in colourful sculptural installations made from everyday modern materials including pop culture objects, such as posters and album covers, and household accessories.[1][4] The other trademark theme in his artistic practice is using brightly coloured vinyl tape arranged into patterns around the floor of the gallery space, tracing the shape of the room to reveal the idiosyncrasies of its architecture.[4]
According to Lambie: "For me something like Zobop, the floor piece, it is creating so many edges that they all dissolve. Is the room expanding or contracting? … Covering an object somehow evaporates the hard edge off the thing, and pulls you more towards of a dreamscape."[5]
In addition to his floor installations, Lambie creates found object sculptures, wall works, paintings and film.[6]
References
^ abTwo Glasgow boys stake Scottish claim to Turner Prize, Anna Millar, Scotland on Sunday, 5 June 2005. NewsBank.
^Lambie takes steps to add to floor show, David Pollock, Edinburgh Evening News, Scotland, 5 February 2003. NewsBank.
^The teenagers who just won't grow up, Kevin Courtney, Irish Times, Dublin, 27 January 2003. NewsBank.