Clar studied film as an undergraduate at New York University, focusing on 3D animation, and later continued with his master’s degree in the NYU Interactive Telecommunications Program. It was there that he moved away from screen-based work and began working directly with light, creating sculptural lighting pieces. By developing his own systems to manipulate light, he discovered that he could create unique visual displays while avoiding the limitations of screen-based work, namely resolution and two-dimensionality.

While his early works sought to analyze how technology and media function, a move to the Middle East in 2007 shifted his focus toward how technology and media affect people. As an American living in Dubai, his artwork evolved toward deeper conceptual themes. These include nationalism, globalism, and popular culture in the era of mass information, often examining discrepancies in information between Western media and Middle Eastern media and their effects on society.

In early 2011, Clar opened “Satellite”, a new studio in a warehouse space that allows him to experiment and produce on a larger scale. Satellite also serves as an exhibition space for selected works—sculptures, wall pieces, and installations that make use of the space. It has an open-door atmosphere that allows the public to enter and see both finished works and the artistic process, offering a unique opportunity to engage with the artist often before the works become known in the contemporary art world. Clar, who curates and manages Satellite’s program, plans to invite other artists passing through Dubai to use the space as a kind of satellite studio while away from home, encouraging experimentation in a new environment and collaboration between artists.

Works in the collection: Mitja submergida

http://www.jamesclar.com/