James Olley’s paintings are grounded in representation and depict invented spaces with altering perspectives, surprising shifts in scale, and unorthodox sight lines. Although his work explores representation, it also osculates between figuration and abstraction which invokes a sense of motion and tension. The rhythmic sites represent a state of flux and reflect the continual cycling of styles and trends in contemporary society. The figuration serves as a psychological investigation, with the artist showcasing how he thinks the depicted figures would inhabit their embellished environments. Olley contemplates and develops spaces that are not made up of mere generic containers where people would live. He engages the idea that an urban space is a unique, living and evolving space that constantly adapts and develops in accordance with individual needs and cultural trends.

Toronto based painter James Olley received his MFA from the University of Waterloo in 2008 after completing his BFA at NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2004. Since graduating he has had a number of solo shows in galleries primarily in Toronto and has been included group shows, since 2002, throughout Ontario and Nova Scotia. Most recently, Olley has been awarded the Emerging Artist Grant and Exhibition Assistance Grant from the Ontario Arts Council, in addition to the Vermont Studio Center Residency. His work has been showcased at contemporary art fairs, including Pulse New York and Miami.