James Graves was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania. He moved to Florida in his early teens. He attended the University of South Florida, Tampa, receiving a B.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in Library and Information Studies. He has remained in the Tampa Bay area, currently living in Plant City.
He first took up photography after graduating USF. His art photos have always been created with black and white film, preferring it's abstraction and enhanced ability to communicate as metaphor. After a career as a librarian in the county public library system, he recently returned to photography.
Publications: The Tampa Review, issue 45/46, University of Tampa Press 2013. His work was featured in the LENSCRATCH blog on 10/08/13. SHOTS magazine, no. 128, 2015. SHOTS Magazine, no.132, Summer, 2016.
Solo Exhibitions: Bruton Memorial Library, Plant City, November, 2013. Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, Tampa, March & April, 2014. Bruton Memorial Library, Plant City, December, 2016.
Recent Group Exhibitions:
* “Best in Conceptual” award. 2014 Florida Museum of Photographic Arts Members' show. Tampa, FL
* December 2014, “Dreams and Hallucinations,” Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., Vermont.
*April, 2015, “Semblance,” Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., Vermont.
* “Best in Conceptual” award. 2015 Florida Museum of Photographic Arts Members' show. Tampa, FL.
* “Center Forward 2015,” The Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO.
“The Narrative Portrait,” Southeast Center for Photography, Greenville, SC.
“Simply,” 2016, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO. Hamidah Glasgow Director’s Selection.
“Singular/Signature,” 2017, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, CO.
All photographs in the Marking Questions portfolio are selenium-toned silver gelatin prints from 120 film negatives.
Graves' web site is available at jgravesphoto.com.