Don James is a creator of abstract photographic images. He finds inspiration in natural, industrial, and urban environments. His subjects are visible to everyone, but truly seen by few. They are pieces of human-made structures, details of common objects, or short-lived fragments of nature that are continuously sculpted by the elements. His images blur the boundary between representational art and abstraction.

His work has been influenced by the abstract photographs of Brett Weston, Aaron Siskind, and William Garnett, as well as images by Precisionist painters and photographers of the early twentieth century.

His current workflow is digital; however, virtually all of his finished works are from single exposures, with editing limited to techniques that are similar to what he used in his darkroom. His prints are made on traditional photographic paper developed with a chromogenic darkroom process.

His goal as an artist is to not only improve his own ability to see, but to encourage viewers of his photographs to set aside their daily distractions and truly look at the world around them.

Don received his Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, and a Masters degree from Loyola University in Baltimore. He is a 2025 Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellow. He lives in Milton, Delaware.

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