Biography: James Fox was born in Glasgow into a working class family. As a young boy he wanted to be an electrician like his dad. Leaving school, he opted for a good job and the ability to buy the latest fashion rather than further education. After being made redundant from an engineering apprenticeship in the 1980s he studied textiles at Goldsmiths College, University of London, graduating with a first class degree. Since then he has been awarded a Textile Society Professional Award (2014) and undertaken a Muir Trust Artist Residency (2017) at Bucks County Museum, Aylesbury. Based in Lancaster, he exhibits and sells his textile-based work nationally and internationally. In an interview for eMbroidery Fox acknowledges how his early life influences his work saying ‘I am from a working class Glasgow background which I spent years escaping but now embrace. This has a strong influence on how I see the world and transfer it to my work.’
Techniques: Fox seeks to challenge our expectations of gender roles in modern society and the workplace through his artwork. Often he juxtaposes these subversive themes with the techniques he uses namely machine embroidery and reverse appliqué.
‘No one had ever said it outright but people had insinuated that working with cloth is exclusively a feminine pastime and therefore not worthy of the label ‘fine art’. My work sets out to present the adaptations we have all had to perfect in order to take our place in the 21st century: men being more active in parenting; juggling the work/ life balance; the pressure of a consumerist, aspirational culture; the necessity of changing our expectations of working and domestic life.’
image 1 James Fox – BOOM. reverse appliqué, 120cm x 120cm, composite Source: https://www.textileartist.org/james-fox-an-alternative-view
Many of Fox’s pieces (see image 1) feature crosses, usually as geometric, rather than religious, symbols, often resulting from the intersection of lines rather than crosses per se. Star shapes also occur, both intentionally and from intersections of lines as in figs 2 and 3 below.
image 2 James Fox – Her Eyes, reverse applique, 90cm x 60cm Source: https://www.textileartist.org/james-fox-an-alternative-view
image 3 James Fox – Fraternity (GANGSTA) quilt. 100cm x 100cm Source: https://www.textileartist.org/james-fox-an-alternative-view
Fox’s latest work was inspired by people he met whilst volunteering at Lancaster and District Homeless Action Service. He continues to use reverse appliqué and machine stitch in these portraits but combines them with soldering – cloth and netting. One of these pieces ‘David’ was featured on the cover of Embroidery magazine in 2019.
Relevance: Fox’s work is directly relevant to this module as he uses reverse applique, combined with applique and machine stitch, all of which are techniques covered in Module 1. Crosses and star motifs can be found in some of his work, although not in his latest project. His work tackles unusual or controversial topics using the accessible art form of stitch. More generally, Fox’s ‘can do’ attitude and his challenging of social stereotypes serve to illustrate how artists, particularly those engaged in textile art, can raise awareness of issues such as gender stereotyping, gangs and homelessness.
Bibliography and References
(2019) James Fox: Drawn to the Truth Embroidery: The Textile Art Magazine, p.28 Embroiderers’ Guild
eMbroidery – James Fox – Mr X Stitch accessed 24.08.2019
Pitcher, J. James Fox: An alternative view on TextileArtist.org accessed 22.08.2019
Daniel : James Fox: Raider of the lost archive – TextileArtist.org accessed 23.08.2019
Jane, James Fox: From conception to creation – TextileArtist.org accessed 23.08.2019
Stitching Diaries 