Artist in Residence at Totally Wired

New Zealand Artist James Bellaney

One of the reasons we love Dunedin city is it’s high level of creative talent in music, literature and the visual arts. So we are pleased to present in the shop beautifully expressive paintings by James Ballaney available for sale on behalf.

Recognised as one of New Zealand’s emerging artists James was born of Scottish and Maori descent in Hastings, lived in Dunedin since 89 studied at Dunedin School of Art 2007 - 2011, graduated with BFA in 2011, took a year off in between ... ‘to go see UK and Europe and see all the art I could in six months.’ Since 2010 James has presented a number of solo and participated in several exhibitions primarily in Dunedin and Wellington, as well as other centres in New Zealand. He has another major solo exhibition in Wellington this June 2016. He has contributed to two public Youth Week art projects, has taught art to children and been a finalist in two major New Zealand art competitions. James has been a regular contributor to the University of Otago’s Art and Science event. His paintings can also be found at Bowen Galleries in Wellington, Moray Gallery in Dunedin, as well as his Dunedin studio.

For SALE James is having a clearance of some of his works in storage so there are some beautiful paintings going for next to nothing. See special prices below.

For more information please contact either James or Carolyn.

“Art is about discovery, for the artist and for the voyager. People who actually go to see art work in or outside a gallery enter so, not with a depiction of what they will actually get, but with faith that something will happen subjectively.” ‐ James

Paintings and words by James Bellaney –

’Ultimatum’

Acrylic house paint on canvas 1500mm x 1500mm, 2014 was NZ$ 3,200 Sale price $ 1250

’Surround me solid’

Acrylic house paint on canvas 1000mm x 580mm, 2014 was NZ$ 1,400 Sale price $ 850

’Frankenstein’

Acrylic house paint on canvas 1300mm x 1800mm, 2011 was NZ$ 2,000 Sale price $ 950

I am made of flesh

people see me and turn

if they stayed

look into them selves as their eyes cast forward, share knowledge and change together

see more than their physical presence,

see themselves

instead of social indoctrination

open to the world

that is both sublime and beautiful

night and day

earth and air

with out that rigid gospel

but words of poetry

’Mindscape’

Acyrlic house paint on canvas, 1200mm x 1600mm, 2013 was NZ$ 2,000 Sale price $ 950

This painting was made after working with neuroscientist Phillip Brown John who researches the neuro activity in post stroke patients that are unfortunate enough to loose function of their limbs. This work is representation of the MRI scan depiction of the brain whilst the the patient is going through a stroke, keeping true to ambiguity I wanted the the painting also to resemble the similarities in the landscape of the brain to that of our planet.

’The Turning Point’

Acrylic house paint on canvas 1200mm x 1200mm 2013 was NZ$ 1,000 SOLD

You may see a dragon

Accomplishing demons that have been ingrained
visual experiences imposing feelings

so much, at times,

nothing another.
I rise, burning red with passion,

I sit worn out

with bearing weight, hindi gods turn blue
there is a reason why colour speaks

like sunny days spread joy

I love the rain
I am both, all things

as the ocean has many moods shades
of blue, green and grey

the movement is always constant

on the calmness of surface

beneath is a world, life

’Hope’

Acrylic house paint on board, series of three 150mm x 150mm each, 2014 was NZ$ 900 Sale price $ 450




Reviwer’s and curator’s comments

’Bellaney’s sublime is everything together at once: symphonic beauty in the form of all-over painting. His paintings breathe the energy of an untrammeled convergence of forces – where the surface of each is evidently created by equal parts of chance and composition, chaos and consideration…Perhaps that’s why, for me anyway, standing in front of one of his monumental works is like facing down an oncoming storm – ominous and thrilling at the same time. And safe in the knowledge that ultimately I am at the mercy of whatever it may bring.’ Jamie Hanton 2112 Read the full article

’James Bellaney’s pieces were my favourite in the collective exhibition. Bellaney’s work is generally quite dark and moody, with swirling brown and red and black paint often being used. But in this exhibition, Bellaney treats paint as what he referred to as a “purge” of his thoughts, which manifests in “dynamic and swirling textual elements which are created by the painstaking process of layering and manipulating the trajectory of paint as it travels across the surfaces of large scale panels.’ Briar Holt 2014 Read the full article

’James Bellaney also works without premeditated structure but in an altogether different manner. One gets the impression that his work connotes a series of uninterrupted internal processes; raw emotional data not yet curbed by aesthetic platitudes. While the physicality of painting itself is the primary content of his work - the paint having been poured, dripped, flicked and allowed to pool like a midnight swamp or a coagulating wound - Bellaney’s purposeful, sensitive mark-making and compositional ingenuity suggest that these are not wholly reflexive action paintings but something more, dare I say, ‘mystical’. We are asked to connect the painting to the physical world as subjective musings dance across its surface. I was led to imagine an almighty rupture in the surface of the underworld but others might ponder synaesthesia or cosmological phenomena. Such is the breadth of Bellaney’s expression.’ Franky Strachan, 2013 Read the full article

’These are pieces from my favourite Dunedin-based artist, James Bellaney. Bellaney is a fourth year painting student at the Dunedin school of art. Stylistically, Bellaney’s work is reminiscent of the intimacy felt in Surrealist automatism, American action painting and Abstract Expressionism. This is evident from the quality of his work, which has the appearance of being somewhat considered, yet spontaneously gestural and improvised. Bellaney’s creative process involves methodically moving the paint by means of splashing, staining, stumbling and dripping across the working space. Often it appears as though he is using seemingly random tools, as opposed to the more traditional paint brush.Upon viewing him work, his figure is reminiscent to that of to Hans Namuth’s photographs of American Abstract expressionist, Jackson Pollock. Bellaney, not dissimilar to Pollock and other artists, such as transgressive artist Vito Accohi, Australian artist Dale Frank, Paul McCarthy, Pablo Picasso (particularly the film featuring him paint on glass) and many kinetic sculptors use art to convey ranging emotions and subsequent reflections upon their individual lives. However Bellaney’s pieces have a quintessential spiritual quality, which I believe is apparent because of his Maori heritage. This sense of spirituality I would liken to not only his works kinetic flow of energy (a reference to music and surfing), but also the strongest of his influences comes from his own environment, nature. As a sense of the calming waves and aggressive internal conflict merge together to create a chaotic rhythm of his perceptions of his own environment and sense of identity.’ Marrow Magazine, Dunedin 2110

Direct Contact

John Ransley and Carolyn Guytonbeck are the principals behind Totally Wired. It’s our own business and we take pride in building something worthwhile.

If you want to contact us directly per mail:

• John Ransley
• Carolyn Guytonbeck

Related links

• James Bellaney
• Bowen Galleries
• Moray Gallery
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