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Ian James

@spa_shorts

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~~~~ Rainbows & Waterfalls ~~~~ KHLZ.fm ~~~ https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/10/28/ian-james-pirate-radio-station-khlz-caravan-joshua-tree

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It’s with near tears in my eyes that I get to announce the completion of 𝘒𝘏𝘓𝘡: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘸 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦. A terrestrial radio station in Yucca Valley, CA broadcasting on 99.9FM as well as a streaming radio station at 𝘒𝘏𝘓𝘡.𝘍𝘔 on your internet dial.

Broadcasting healing waves 24/7/365, this project was dreamed about 17 years ago while I was in grad school at CalArts in a class with David Bunn. Later, as my interest and research in New Age culture, which was the basis of my KCHUNG radio show 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘡𝘰𝘯𝘦 (2012-2019), infected my art practice, I was invited to do a solo exhibition with Emma Gray’s Five Car Garage where I pitched the construction of the radio station as a series of sculptures that would be my first attempt at building spiritual technology.

Around the same time, COVID hit and Patricia was given a travel trailer that she offered to me to be the permanent home of the radio station, once the exhibition with Emma came down. Thus began a six year renovation odyssey of completely gutting the trailer and rebuilding its insides as a pavilion and HQ for the radio station. Likely the hardest thing I’ve ever done, I completed it this past weekend and the streaming website 𝘒𝘏𝘓𝘡.𝘍𝘔 went live simultaneously.

I have to give immense loving thanks to Patricia Fernández for loving me and putting up with this nonsense this whole time, Bennett Brizes for the website design, Harley Hollenstein, Randy Salzman, Andy Kincaid, and Declan McNulty for the construction assistance, Jeremy Nash for running the electrical and wiring the whole thing, and Hannah Sage Kay for her curiosity and wonderful writing about the piece. To Solomon Bothwell and all at KCHUNG for allowing a place to gestate and to JD Emmanuel for his friendship, encouragement, and inspiration, and for donating his archive of the White Star to be housed at KHLZ. by @spa_shorts

In 2020 My gallery #fivecargarage @emmagrayhq became a radio station.
Blasting @spa_shorts radio station #healinglightcomfortstation which will be broadcasting again soon!

This week a room of Otis students (brought in by their teacher and artist #ianjames) @otisfinearts had a full-on journey in the studio on breath alone, and it sent me back through everything that happened over the years at Five Car Garage and the Energetic Residency. The joy, the weirdness, and what I miss from the artworld. A lot of what happened in the studio was spontaneous and not archived in the gallery program.. (as it should be)

New on Substack: Notes on flying while breathing. Link in bio.🙏🏼💫🌈🦄☔️ by @spa_shorts

So grateful to Jasminne Morataya for writing the text companion to my exhibition, “The Agate Box.” I love the writing. Thank you, Jasminne by @spa_shorts

If you find yourself in the Tri-State Area tomorrow, Friday 9/25, join us on the University of Cincinnati campus for an artist talk regarding spiritual technology, universal consciousness at the subatomic level, and the outer capabilities of early 2000s Chevrolet Astro Vans (AWD). Aronoff 5401 in the DAAP Autonomous Zone. Thank you immensely to @crlntrnr & @daapsoa by @spa_shorts

Excited to announce the next exhibition at Solar Noon!

The Agate Box
Ian James
September 26 – November 7, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday September 26 – 6-9pm

Solar Noon
911 Evans St.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45204

Ian James is interested in how ordinary objects become imbued with esoteric value through social agreement and ritual construction. At their core, the works ask how belief becomes material and generate ritual practices that bring the body into contact with spiritual technology. His installations investigate how systems of belief become embedded in material culture through ritual, repetition, and collective agreement. Modelled after research into reliquaries and shrines, the work explores how personal value is assigned to ordinary objects and how spiritual and ideological investments persist through material culture.

@spa_shorts by @spa_shorts

This past Saturday, my show at Escolar, Lifeworld, closed. Here are some images I shot during its final hours.

I’m so grateful to Nathan for the invitation and for his work putting the show and the screening together, as well as the wonderful time spent with him, Danni, Lee, Ian, Laeh, Perry, and Ben. by @spa_shorts

Saturday at 8:30. Screening Ian James’ 18 Pyramids. by @spa_shorts

#ianjames
@spa_shorts

Featured:
Planet with Noosphere, 2013; Direct TV satellite dish, colored pencil, sticker; 36 x 20 x 36 inches 2023

GM108X ~ Galactic-Hermetic MindStream; HP Deskjet F4280 lid, type c print, tape, colored pencil; 14 x 18 inches; 2023

Cosmic Mediumship & Hierarchy; Computer tower side panel, colored pencil; 18 x 18 x .5 inches; 2023

DM flatline gallery or email info@flatlinegallery.com for inquiries

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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. by @spa_shorts

@spa_shorts @_escolar_ more to come ❤️💐 by @spa_shorts

If in Chicago today, check out the amazing group show 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 at Flatline Gallery that has included my work. Curated by Soft Systems with work from Vivien Adamian, J. Grace Giordano, Tong Pan, Deb Sokolow, and myself.

Opening tonight 6-9pm with regular gallery hours to follow Thurs-Sun 11am-6pm.

Thank you so much to Marteen for assembling the show and to Ben & Lorenzo for hosting by @spa_shorts

“The rise of the West was not made possible by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion . . . but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence.” – Alex Karp, quoting Samuel Huntington, Palantir Q4 2024 shareholder letter, Feb 3, 2025

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Ian James is an artist who lives in Los Angeles. He has presented solo exhibitions at Timeshare (LA), Et Al (SF), Five Car Garage (LA), The Fulcrum (LA), and Hernando’s Hideaway (Miami), as well as group exhibitions at Flatline Gallery (Chicago), 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 recently screened his 16mm film, Eighteen Pyramids, at Now Instant Film Hall in Los Angeles.

He recently a published a monograph with The Fulcrum Press & Special Effects and his work is held in the permanent collection at LACMA.

Since 2018, he has run the artist-project space, Leroy’s.

Opening This Saturday from 6-10 pm. by @spa_shorts

A second work from my time @zku.berlin. This one and the previous were never titled by @spa_shorts