James Gortner (b.1977) paints with his personal conflicts, moods, and dreams, in combination with other people’s stories and the magical myths of past and present. Gortner makes rich, colorful, and layered work that begins from discarded art. which he collects from thrift stores, the internet, friend’s donations, and the street.

Gortner’s work has been featured in outlets such as the Quiet Lunch magazine, Veoir Magazine, and more. His work has been exhibited at the Pool Gallery (Berlin), Lyons Wier Gallery (New York), and is among the collection of Eileen Kaminsky S. Family Foundation.

“In all the ways I paint, I’m drawn to the subject of transformation. Passing into and from something else. I also like thinking of self-expression, interconnectedness of people, their collective subjectivity, how we are connected on the level of quantum physics, through time, social conditioning, shared spirituality, a collective imagination, our dreams, and finally how this manifests in our senses of identity,” says Gortner.