Ian James

Adjunct Associate Professor | BFA Fine Arts

Education

MFA, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, California
BA, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

Bio and Affiliation

Ian James is an artist working in photography and sculpture who lives and works in Los Angeles. He has presented solo exhibitions at Timeshare (LA), Et Al (SF), Five Car Garage (LA), The Fulcrum (LA), Hernando’s Hideaway (Miami), Vacancy, and Self Actualization (Houston), as well as group exhibitions at Lower Cavity (Holyoke, MA), Roberts Projects, The Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art, the UNLV Barrick Museum, REDCAT, and Holiday Forever (Jackson, WY), among others.

He was an artist in residence at ZK/U Berlin, AIR Sandnes, Norway, SÍM in Reykjavik, Iceland and The Wassaic Project (Wassaic, NY). His monograph Pyramids: Special Economic Vortex Zones of North America was published with The Fulcrum Press & Special Effects in September 2025. His work is held in the permanent collection at LACMA and he is an adjunct professor at Otis College of Art & Design, Art Center College of Design, and Pasadena City College.

Awards and Honors

2025
- Residency – ZK/U– Berlin, Germany
2024
- Residency – Sandnes AIR – Sandnes, Norway
2022
- Faculty Development Grant, Otis College, Los Angeles, CA
2019
- Faculty Development Grant, Otis College, Los Angeles, CA
2017
- Residency – SÍM Institute – Reykjavik, Iceland
- Faculty Development Grant, Otis College, Los Angeles, CA
2016
- Residency – The Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
2015
- Faculty Development Grant, Otis College, Los Angeles, CA
2014
- YoYoYo Grant, Rema Hort Mann Foundation, Los Angeles, CA

Selected Exhibitions

2025
- Searching The Source - Ian James, Joshua Schaedel, Laura Schwawelka, Lower Cavity, Holyoke, MA
2024
- RIP Hard Rock Cafe, Myrtle Beach, SC, Et Al, San Francisco, CA (solo)
- Health Life, iesare, os Anees, A (solo)
- Rare Earth, Timeshare, Los Angeles, CA
2021
- UR-TEMPLE, The Fulcrum, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
- Untying Six Astral Knots, Hernando’s Hideaway, Miami, FL (solo)
2020
- Harmony of the Noosphere, Five Car Garage, Santa Monica, CA (solo)
- Hand of Basajuan, w/ Patricia Fernández, Holiday Forever, Jackson, WY
2019
- 7 of Cups, Queens, Los Angeles, CA
- The Magic Hour #5, The Magic Hour, 29 Palms, CA
- Wasting Time in the Tomb World, El Classificado, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
- In the many valleys, the sun, was the eye of god, w/ Patricia Fernández, Forest Island Project, Mammoth,
  CA
2018
- Death, curated by Don Edler, Elevator Mondays, Los Angeles, CA
- Take Care, curated by Ceci Moss, Gas Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2017
- Preservation, curated by Aurora Tang, UNLV Barrick Museum, Las Vegas, NV
- I Was Meant to Love You, SÍM Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland
- Four Person Summer Group Show: Phil Chang, Laeh Glenn, John Houck, Ian James, Roberts & Tilton, Los Angeles, CA
- To See the Moon Fall from the Sky, Spring/Break, curated by Will Hutnick & Mark Epstein, New York Mystic
- Hyperstitians in the Heart of the Empire, curated by Joey Cannizzaro, Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art, Indianapolis, IN
- Chateau Antonym, curated by Carter Mull, Photo LA, Los Angeles, CA
2016
- Time and the Technosphere, Vacancy, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
- Number Six, MiM Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- Mushrooms & Honey, Eitherway LA & metro pcs, Los Angeles, CA
- NADA NYC, ltd los angeles, New York, NY
- Higher-Self Rendezvous, metro pcs, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
- Rune Saloon, Ian James & Matt Siegle, Holiday Forever, Jackson, WY
- Infinite Regress, Ian James & Katie Shapiro, ltd los angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Together/Alone, Embassy LA, Los Angeles, CA
2015
- Hotel Theory, curated by Sohrab Mohebbi & Ruth Estevéz, REDCAT, Los Angeles, CA
- In the Caverns of Your Mind, Self Actualization Gallery, Houston, TX (solo)
- NEWD, curated by Kibum Kim, NEWD Art Fair, Brooklyn, NY
- Shangrila, Joshua Tree, CA
2014
- Healing Light Comfort Zone, KCHUNG TV, Made in LA 2014, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Mondays et al, curated by Keith Varadi, Chin’s Push, Los Angeles, CA
- Deviled Eggs, curated by Jeff McLane, Photo LA, Los Angeles, CA
2013
- Self-Guided Audio Tours, KCHUNG Public Engagement Residency, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- An Extended Mantra for Magic Chef, performance, House of Moomaw, Los Angeles, CA
2012
- A Romantic Measure, Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- Knowledges, performance, Mt. Wilson Observatory, Angeles National Forest, CA
- The Black Box, performance, Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival, Los Angeles, CA
- Opening Reception, performance, Human Resources, Los Angeles, CA
- The Blue Shanty, performance, Los Angeles, CA
- William Gibson’s Neuromancer performed by Sneaky Snake, The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles, CA
- Tonalism, performance, El Cosmico, Marfa, TX
2011
- The Palms II, Three New Works, Los Angeles, CA
- The Palms I, Los Angeles Road Concert, Los Angeles, CA
- US EST, Pepin Moore Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- The Collective Show, Human Resources, Los Angeles, CA
2010
- Predator II, Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009
- Feeling Feelings, Compact Space Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- The Writing is on the Wall, Los Angeles Road Concert, Los Angeles, CA
- Between the Surface, Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- Why Theory, CalArts MFA Graduate Exhibition, Spring Arts Tower & REDCAT, Los Angeles, CA
- Line Drawing (as of March 2, 2009, CalArts, Valencia, CA (thesis exhibition)
2008
- Fractal Topography (solo), CalArts, Valencia, CA
- Desiring Images, CalArts, Valencia, CA
- Reflection, CSU Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
2007
- Subject to the Wall, Deborah Page Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
- Camp Laurel, Debora Page Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2006
- What We Do is Secret, ROY Gallery, Columbus, Ohio (solo)
- If You Lived Here, Compact Space Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Publications:

2025
- Pyramids: Sites of Pilgrimage Under Late Capitalism (forthcoming), The Fulcrum Press, Los Angeles, CA
2021
- Untying Six Astral Knots (Exhibition book), The Invisible Solid Publishing Corp, Los Angeles, CA
  The Harmony of the Noosphere (Exhibition book), The Invisible Solid Publishing Corp, Los Angeles, CA
2020
- The 13:20 Movement, Fulcrum Press, Los Angeles, CA
2019
- In the many valleys, the sun was the eye of god, w/ Patricia Fernández, Colpa Books, Los Angeles, CA
2015
- A Catalog of Existing Photography (artist book), The Invisible Solid Publishing Corp, Los Angeles, CA
2014
- “The Void that Binds: Moving Mass through Space and Time” – Prism of Reality no. 2
  Industrial Color/Light Test (artist book), Golden Spike Press, Los Angeles, CA

Clients / Employment History

Teaching Appointments

Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Fine Arts, Otis College of Art & Design Los Angeles, CA
Adjunct Faculty, Graduate Art, Art Center College of Art & Design, Pasadena, CA
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Visual Arts & Media Studies, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA