Artist Name: James Sharinghousen
Mediums: Artist and Performer
Location: Portland, OR
What mediums do you use for your art?
Because I work in theater and special events, my materials are all over the place. Primarily wood, metal, acrylic and spray paints, and foam. If it’s used in construction, I probably play with it. As a performer, my body and my voice are my instrument. Sometimes stilts…
What is your core inspiration for your art?
A lot of what I do is inspired by the world and culture around me. Relationships between people, animals, and how we are influenced by the moment. I find instant reactions curious, and love inspiring them.
What do you think your role as an artist is in the community?
Give, take, and nurture. I love inspiring others, and being inspired. I love it when a piece gets interacted with, and ignites a person’s imagination. It’s why I love designing and building haunted houses. You get to experience the art in its entirety. At this point in my journey, I’ve certainly taken on more of a mentorship role, regardless of the other person’s age or experience. I find it incredibly rewarding and fulfilling to help another artist develop their skills.
What would you like to see happen in the art world to include the LGBTQ+ community more?
I feel that it’s pretty isolated if the LGBTQ+ community isn’t included in an artistic space. I could also be speaking from a bubble. What I see most of all is accessibility. Depending on the medium, the materials alone can be expensive, and especially new artists can have a hard time buying what they need just to try a new technique. I know there are spaces where people can go to take a workshop class, or see a demonstration, but I would love to see more grants/scholarships that the city or state provides, so that small businesses (such as my own) aren’t burdened with the overhead.
How has art impacted your life?
How HASN’T it impacted my life?! I am so fortunate to be surrounded by talented and generous artists that I get to work with or for. I have had the opportunity to work in stop-motion animation, theater, film, haunted houses, and even commercial retail designing and installing decor. I get to travel to other cities to perform or build sculptures, and even now I have fake pies that I designed and made for a theater production next to my desk. I have been moved to fits of raging laughter, tears, anxiety, and overwhelming pride at how my art or designs are received. It’s hard to really put into words, but seeing your work change or influence people, even inspire them, creates a feeling at my very core that is almost like eating a full meal of positive energy. I get to teach other artists, and sometimes give them work. I hope to do more of that in the near future.
Who are your favorite artists?
I don’t have favorites (as infuriating as that is), but more specific works of different artists. The many artists I got to work closely with on Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio were a huge influence on me, along with the carpenters and artists that worked for the now defunct Fright Town. Mainstream artists like Orville Peck and Lady Gaga are of course inspiring, but I find working with or near other artists to be my favorite at or in the moment.
Where can people see your art?
Washington Square Mall, Bearracuda PDX, Village at Totem Lake, various Portland Theaters (most recently Broadway Rose and Triangle Productions), various events, and previously Fright Town. I haven’t done a gallery show yet, YET! My company does installs throughout the year, so feel free to follow me on socials even though I’m garbage at posting. Sheet Ghost Productions LLC is my company, but I also post on my personal.
What does it mean to be a Queer artist to you?
I honestly don’t know. Every time I create something, or help another artist, my perspective changes. Perhaps it means that I am always wanting to evolve, or learn, but I feel like that is too simple of a concept of who I am as a Queer artist. I love challenging the notion of masculinity or normality within the queer community, and the perception of it from the outside, but again, not the sum of what it means to me. In some cases it’s a rebellion of normalcy, or an exercise in defiance. This would be a fun question to revisit in 10 years. This question is now going to be like a song you can’t remember the lyrics to but it’s stuck in your head.
