art delivery : 02.12.25

These big book paintings are the work of James McQueen… a British artist who doesn’t exist:

James McQueen is a British artist based between London and New York. Operating under a pseudonym, he has created paintings publicly as James McQueen since 2017. He explains: 'painting under a pseudonym is very important to me. Keeping behind the mask enables me to enjoy the creative process without being concerned about praise or recognition. I enjoy what I do and don’t want that to change or to be changed through judgement. I want my art to speak for itself.'

McQueen’s art is born from his admiration of vintage books. He first became interested in their graphic design through his grandfather who 'read and had a huge collection of books.' … These literary-inspired paintings are rooted in the Pop art of the mid-1950s and 60s. McQueen’s art appropriates the design and branding of an inexpensive, mass-produced and consumed product to echo Andy Warhol’s appropriated imagery in the Campbell’s Soup paintings. Like Warhol, McQueen celebrates the everyday product by making these book covers monumental and vibrant… [more]

You’ll also notice that James has opted for a chimp in place of the famous penguin, because… “I wanted a character that I could identify with, something mischievous with a sense of humour that can push boundaries.” James is represented by Halcyon Gallery, and he (or she!?) is on Instagram at @jamesmcqueenart.

I love the idea of a pseudonym! Actually, when I started The Jealous Curator way back in 2009, I kept my real name a secret. It was fun being able to write anything I wanted in complete anonymity… in fact, for the first year, a lot of people thought I was a man in London. Just sayin’, “James”! Anyway, let’s use this as our jump-start, shall we: Give yourself a new name, age, location… and gender, if you like. Embrace whoever this new persona is and create a piece of art you think they might make. For example, if you work small, GO BIG. If you paint, make a collage (and vice versa), etc etc. Have fun, you can’t do it wrong! ps. Maybe get some glasses? It certainly worked for Wonder Woman! #unrecognizable

Happy Jumpday ~ Danielle