Jim Mahoney - Painter

Born in Hackensak, New Jersey on a summer day in 1966 My childhood years were spent playing in and around the industrial landscape of Northern New Jersey. I can recall walking along the railroad tracks fascinated by the structures all around me. Looking closely at the rusted metal, geometric shapes and corroded plumbing of the industrial machine. I saw art all around me. The color of rust and peeling paint continue to interest me today and have had a significant impact on me and my art.. My father would take me into NYC on Sundays to visit lower Manhattan's Canal St. District. Again, I found myself surrounded by elements of the industrial society in which i lived. Sidewalk displays of machine parts and old junk for sale. Elements which still play a role in creating my art. My grandfather Joe Miller was a machinist by day, and also an oil painter by night. He would often stay up all night painting then go to work the following day. My uncle Frank Miller worked as an illustrator for Lockheed Martin and is said to have also experimented with painting. He currently lives in the Baltimore area. One of my earliest and most significant artist influences was the work of H.R Giger . My grandfather had given me a book of Giger's work when I was 12. The industrial and sexual nature of his work was disturbing, however It changed my viewpoint on art. I realized that the primary objective of art should be to move someone emotionally and there were few rules beyond that. Not being much for rules, this seemed like a perfect focus area for me. I moved from New York to Atlanta in 1992. I often return to New York City at least once a year. I stay at my beloved Hotel Chelsea which has artisticlly inspired me throughout the years.