Arts & Culture |

Meredith James '04 creates videos and sculptures that challenge perceptions

Artist Meredith James '04 shares three videos and additional photos of her work.

Meredith James created her 14 x 8 x 12-foot sculpture <i>Impossible House</i> with salvaged wood and windows.

Meredith James created her 14 x 8 x 12-foot sculpture Impossible House with salvaged wood and windows. | Photograph courtesy of Meredith James

A still photograph from the video <i>The Invention of Morel pages 89-91,</i> a composite of two videos that match shot for shot, one video of the room intact and another of the room as it is smashed. In the installation, the two videos would be projected simultaneously (with two different projectors) onto the same projection screen.

A still photograph from the video The Invention of Morel pages 89-91, a composite of two videos that match shot for shot, one video of the room intact and another of the room as it is smashed. In the installation, the two videos would be projected simultaneously (with two different projectors) onto the same projection screen. | Photograph courtesy of Meredith James

Another still from <i>The Invention of Morel pages 89-91.</i>

Another still from The Invention of Morel pages 89-91. | Photograph courtesy of Meredith James

A third still from <i>The Invention of Morel pages 89-91.</i>

A third still from The Invention of Morel pages 89-91. | Photograph courtesy of Meredith James

<i>Corridor,</i> a work from 2009, was created from dry-cleaning conveyors and vinyl. It is 15 x 10 x 7.5 feet in size.

Corridor, a work from 2009, was created from dry-cleaning conveyors and vinyl. It is 15 x 10 x 7.5 feet in size. | Photograph courtesy of Meredith James

<i>See Through Installation</i>

See Through Installation | Photograph courtesy of Meredith James

<i>A stand of roadside cholla against which small birds had been driven by the storm and there impaled</i> (2010)

A stand of roadside cholla against which small birds had been driven by the storm and there impaled (2010) | Photograph courtesy of Meredith James. Lamp, light bulb, grow light, wood, sand, cacti, magic sculpt, crow wings, crow skull, plastic, acrylic paint, glass, oil paint, rocks, mirror. Cacti: 79 x 20 x 25.5 inches; window: 48 x 40 x 12 inches.

<i>A stand of roadside cholla against which small birds had been driven by the storm and there impaled</i> (2010)

A stand of roadside cholla against which small birds had been driven by the storm and there impaled (2010) | Photograph courtesy of Meredith James. Lamp, light bulb, grow light, wood, sand, cacti, magic sculpt, crow wings, crow skull, plastic, acrylic paint, glass, oil paint, rocks, mirror. Cacti: 79 x 20 x 25.5 inches; window: 48 x 40 x 12 inches.

<i>See-Through</i> (8 x 7 x 9 feet) was created with salvaged wood and windows.

See-Through (8 x 7 x 9 feet) was created with salvaged wood and windows. | Photograph courtesy of Meredith James

<i>Cuckoo 1 (Talking)</i> (2010)

Cuckoo 1 (Talking) (2010) | Photograph courtesy of Meredith James. Wood, cuckoo, metronome, thread. 9 x 3.5 x 2 inches.

The photographs above present additional images of work by artist Meredith James ’04, whose creations  “show parallels between the world you imagine in your mind and the world we inhabit,” according to a Montage article in the November-December 2011 issue of Harvard Magazine. Distorting architectural space and playing with perceptions, James’s videos are inspired by the works of Surrealists such as Jean Cocteau, as well as by literary science-fiction novels. Watch three of her videos below: Day Shift, Door Sculpture, and Present Time.

 

 

Day Shift:

Door Sculpture:

Present Time:

Related topics
Videos
Visual Arts
Arts & Culture

You might also like

The Gretel and the Great War author on how the Lampoon derailed his science career—and set him on a literary path.

Chloe Chapin trains her Broadway costume designer’s eye on the history of men’s fashion.

Harvard Art Museums restores a rare glimpse of an American master.

Most popular

President Alan M. Garber used traditional Memorial Church address to consider the unique qualities of human intelligence and learning.

Radcliffe Medalist Gloria Steinem speaks on gender, violence, social justice

Accepting the Radcliffe Medal, the activist and writer spoke about gender, violence, and social justice—with a dose of humor. [video/audio]

Due to rain, the University held dual Convocation ceremonies for the Class of 2030 in Sanders Theatre.

House - Email

Explore More From Current Issue

A football player in a white jersey evades a defender in a green uniform on the field.

Football

Despite personnel losses, Crimson captain Xaviah Bascon is upbeat about the 2026 season.

Modern building with large glass windows, surrounded by greenery and pedestrians.

University News

A roundup of University news from the summer of 2026

A smiling elderly man in glasses sits comfortably in a striped armchair.

Harvard Administration

Plus, veteran higher education leader Thomas Ehrlich reflects on university curricula for his 70th reunion