“It’s a very solitary life, being an artist,” Richard W. James tells CityBeat. As an assistant professor in the ceramics program at Miami University and an award-winning artist, James has dedicated much of his life to his career. Since he started working with ceramics in 1996, he has incorporated found objects into his work to represent influences from his upbringing. Quilts, fabrics, wood, furniture, instruments of different sizes and various other objects can be found in many of James’ works, reminiscent of his rural culture. The act of weaving into the clay itself and the intertwining of various mediums and materials in his works provide a representation of thought patterns and the questioning of one’s own perspective.   

Found objects are one of the main identifying components of James’ works. “I have those objects to bounce off of,” James says. To combat the paralyzing freedom of staring at a lump of clay that could be turned into anything, it helps to think of the found objects in new ways. “To think about their intended uses, the nature of [it], the historical ramifications and context, using that object as a thing. The information that comes with it [is] something to bounce off.”  

“They are analogous to how we use information every day,” he explains. “In this way, these objects can be remembered, changed and taken out of context to fulfill an artist’s present needs. That’s what they represent for me.”  

When it comes to the interpretation of his art, James takes a particular approach. “When I make my work, I usually try to have at least three different avenues into [the meaning],” he says. “There’s something literal they can look at, something referencing history and something personal to me — an inside joke, maybe, or something that I don’t really talk about.  

“I want it to be dense, and I don’t think it can be dense if there’s one narrative that is clearly present above the others. It’s an easy thing to latch onto, and the viewer gets into this game of trying to decipher the meaning the artist is trying to give as opposed to putting themselves in [it].”   

This does not mean that certain breadcrumbs cannot be found within the titles of James’ works, though. Visually inescapable upon walking into the exhibit at the Weston Art Gallery, “No True Scotsman” references the logical fallacy that occurs when someone attempts to defend a general claim by changing the definition of a term to exclude counterexamples. “A straw man argument,” James says, referencing the statue itself, which takes the form of a man standing at an overwhelming 12 feet tall. The amalgamation of earthenware, wood, straw, quilt, and string that forms the massive figure is truly something to behold as it towers over gallery viewers.

“Part of being a successful artist is being naive and stupid about things,” James says. “It’s impractical. I did the math on the clay — [how] it was going to shrink, what I needed to make it and all that stuff. When I started putting it together, I put the feet down and started building infrastructure. The waist was up to here on me,” James jokes, raising his hand so it was level with his eyebrows. “I was like, ‘What have I done?’ ‘Why did I do this?’”

James’ partner and co-creator on “No True Scotsman” and “Feed Dogs,” Emily Scheltgen, worked alongside him. James’ work had always been a solo endeavor until his collaboration with Scheltgen on “No True Scotsman.” However, the experience of having his partner work with him on this piece has opened new doors for the future of James’ work. “It’s our first truly collaborative piece. From now on, most of my pieces will probably be with her in tandem,” James says.  

With a history of weaving and textiles, Scheltgen worked heavily on weaving the straw that cascades over the body of the statue from the neck down to the ankles like fitted clothing, with woven sleeves over the figure’s arms. “She probably spent 200 to 300 hours on the straw,” James says. With both of them dedicating numerous 10-hour days to completing the statue, their efforts certainly paid off in the end.  “It’s nice to be with somebody who understands what it’s really like to be in the trenches in the studio all the time,” he says.   

Along with Scheltgen, James’ son, Ollie W. James, made significant contributions to the 12-foot sculpture. “My son helped quite a bit. He helped sort straw for countless hours. We couldn’t have done it without him,” he raves. “The best part was to have all three of us working together on the monumental sculpture. It was very gratifying.” 

Many art careers have to do with persistence — or, as James describes it, a “war of attrition.” This often leads to many works going unseen. “I make a lot of work that never sees the light of day because it just doesn’t have it. Duende,” he says. “Duende” is the Spanish term that is loosely interpreted as having a soul or a heightened state of expression. 

“You go through these cycles. In the end, you’ve got to be honest with yourself. It’s the sunk-cost fallacy of knowing that I’ve spent 200 hours on this thing and wanting to say, ‘I meant to do that,’ when I didn’t. It’s really staring you in the face. That keeps me honest,” he explains.

Along with “No True Scotsman,” the Richard W. James: No True Scotsman exhibit features other unique installations like “Sisyphean Wheel” and “Feed Dogs.” 

“There’s a cohesive internal logic to all these pieces,” James says. 

With the help of his partner and his son, James was able to utilize his knack for found objects and meticulous use of clay and cloth to bring his vision to life by taking advantage of both space and form in a new way at the Weston Art Gallery.

The Richard W. James: No True Scotsman exhibit will be on display at the Weston Art Gallery through Jan. 19. More info: cincinnatiarts.org. 

Richard W. James’ gallery talk takes place on Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. at The Weston Art Gallery. More info: cincinnatiarts.org.

This story is featured in CityBeat’s Dec. 11 print edition.