James A. Smith - Remapping (Working Title)

James A. Smith - Remapping (Working Title)

Date: 31.08.24

Location: PHOTOMAFIA STUDIOS

Smith is a landscape artist who uses colour photography to document and cross examine emergent structures of post-industrial landmass through a process of wayfinding and actively losing himself in landscape. 

Ultimately his research is an attempt to study the ephemeral nature of territory, this is initially observed schematically, using a kind of relational gameplay between transient things and their environments, informing and defining an ‘architecture’ or concept of the contemporary territory of England.

Being Northampton based is key to his practice, (sometimes known in certain circles by his undercover name of ‘Jim’), he uses this equidistant town as a representation in a census of landscape aesthetic, which also comes with an overriding, open sense of being able pivot and ingress with relative ease into the country at any angle.

From this geographical position, this single photographic work exhibiting at Photomafia Studios is from a new body of work, built on from Temporal Dislocation and made in-between and alongside previous works of London Overspill, a study of New and Expanded towns of Southeast England and Memorability as an Image, inspired from the quote by Rayner Banham describing the theory of New Brutalism.

Books and publications include, AAI-Utopia published by Scopio Magazine, Faculty Architecture University of Porto, 2024. London Overspill 2008-2014 published by Relief Press 2018, with essays by Owen Hatherley, Eugenie Shinkle & Matthew Shaul, Memorability as an Image published by Scopio Editions FAUP 2017, reviewed by Photomonitor. Smith has also co-authored the book Continuity, with Dr Christine Garwood, published by University of Hertfordshire Press, 2014.

Photomafia was opened in 2021 by Alex Macchiarelli & Joe Westley with the goal to provide accessible photography studio space to young creatives as well as creating an art space to nurture Northampton's young artistic voice. At the beginning of 2025 we opened our Photobook Shop as an extension of our exhibitions to put a spotlight on the towns strong connection to photobook & Zine Culture, While simultaneously connecting creatives to like minded artists around the globe. 

Photomafia’s exhibitions aim to push artists and creatives together and up, providing a space for artists to engage with each other creatively and push each other forward. Our exhibitions have featured artists both established and new, global and local with the underlying goal of creating opportunity and inspiration for young creatives in the surrounding area that gives them a reason to stay in Northampton, while creating a platform that will support their growth.