DALEK JUXTAPOZ.COM (^) | 61
DALEK
JAMES MARSHALL KEEPS IT
VERY REAL
INTERVIEW BY KRISTIN FARR // P O RT R A I T BY NICK PIRONIO
TRUSTING YOUR GUT IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE, but James
Marshall has learned to have faith in his own instincts, constantly
exploring new territory. From his signature Space Monkey character
to his Minimalist studies of color relationships, his trajectory as a
painter has been powerful and influential. Dalek, as he is known,
has honed a skill for geometric perfection, and after a break from
exhibits, he’s back, with a piercing vision.
Like a patron collecting an artist’s work in depth, Juxtapoz
likes to follow artists throughout their careers, keeping up
with their development and discoveries. Early on, Marshall
assisted Takashi Murakami, which contributed to his eye
for detail, and he’s currently exploring depth and texture,
attempting to make hard-edge lines feel organic. He’s
become a painter impossible to contend with, and we
caught up over the phone as he was shuttling his son to
basketball practice. Among other things, we talked about his
name, his growth as an artist, and motherfucking biters.
Kristin Farr: What was it about the Dalek robots on Dr. Who
that made you want adopt the name for your art life?
Dalek: The core of the story is that I grew up watching Dr.
Who because there were only four channels to watch before
cable, so there weren’t a lot of options. The whole show is
so trippy, not just the Daleks, but all the robots. I was into
Logan’s Run and all of those ’70s Sci-fi movies, and all of
them were making larger social statements about the state
of the world—movies like Soylent Green, Brave New World,
1984 , or any of those dystopian future society films. Those
tuis.
(Tuis.)
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