Jim Shrosbree

Jim Shrosbree creates small, compelling objects, typically of clay, that occupy enormous physical and psychological space. Extending from a wall, reflected in a mirror, or resting on the floor, these often intensely colored forms are handmade and, as such, take part in a craft tradition. But unlike craft objects, the works are enigmatic, moving quietly from the functional or rational realm into the ambiguous domain of illogicality and poetry. With equal significance, they find precursors in early 20th-century Dadaist and Surrealist sculpture. Objects by artists participating in these movements, such as Man Ray and Jean Arp, inform the work. Like these artists, Shrosbree occasionally uses found materials from the everyday world, such as cloth, glitter, and wire, to create his objects. The works reflect with equal authority the term "objects of my affection," Man Ray's description of his own sculptures. Such a portrayal inherently signifies a private experience or relationship, which is clearly the case here. 

Jeff Fleming, Senior Curator, Des Moines Art Center, Iowa 

(excerpt from essay "Jim Shrosbree: Objects of My Affection" from 
Des Moines Art Center exhibition "Jim Shrosbree: Zero/Distance")