James Oses goes to Electric Avenue

[Interview with James Oses, by Murray Dewhurst]

James Oses’ Brixton sketches jumped out at me one day while scrolling through Facebook. A one-time Brixton resident myself back in the early 90’s, I was instantly attracted to the landmarks depicted in the sketches for their energetic reportage style that captures that Brixton energy really well.

The Railway Hotel, Atlantic Road

What is it that drew you to Brixton, James?

I think Brixton has a
very distinct character that makes it a really unique part of London.
From an artistic perspective it’s very appealing as there’s a real
mixture of subject matter – the markets, architecture, just the general
atmosphere. It always feels bustling, as well, which is perfect for
sketching on site. I’m pretty interested in South London’s history too,
particularly Brixton. Urban75.org is a
great resource if you’re into old photos of the area! I think having an
interest to begin with helps, as you feel a bit more engaged with what
you’re drawing.

Electric Avenue – London’s first electrified street and of course inspiration for the Eddy Grant hit

Your sketch of Electric Avenue beautifully captures the feeling and energy of the market. Where are you sketching from?

From
the overground platform at Brixton train station. It was really cold
when I did that picture and I had to stand to see over a wall while I
was painting and drawing. That one is a little under A2 in size so
slightly awkward to hold a drawing board for a few hours! I should
probably get an easel but that would be common sense…

Ramzey Greengrocer, Market Row

Tell us about your technique and materials.

I like to
use a traditional style dip pen. I gravitated to these after admiring
Ronald Searle’s work as a student. What I really like about them is
that, depending on the nib, you can go from a really thin to really
thick line by varying hand pressure. This makes them very expressive to
work with. Watercolours go great with ink and I really like their
transparency and brightness as well. They can also be used in a quick
way to describe colour which is very important for working on location.

Reliance Arcade, Electric Lane

What makes a subject stand out to you and make you sketch them?

I
think I’m drawn to movement a lot of the time. Though I love drawing
architecture, I think often what makes a picture interesting is the human
activity going on around a particular environment. People also help to
give a sense of scale of what is the main focus of your picture.

The Ritzy Cinema, Brixton on its 100th birthday

Music is never far away in Brixton. Either songs about the place
or the musicians who have lived there, from legendary Jamaican Ska
trombonist Rico Rodriguez to reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, Paul
Simonon of The Clash, and of course the late David Bowie was born in
Brixton. Describe the scene of your David Bowie mural sketch.

I’ve
been a big fan of David Bowie for a long time so it was sad to hear he
had passed away. I play guitar as well, and Mick Ronson – his lead
guitarist during the 70s – is easily one of my all time favourite
players.

I was a little hesitant to draw the mural – by the artist Jimmy C – as I
wasn’t sure whether it was the right thing to do. I didn’t want to
promote myself off the back of a rather sombre event if that makes
sense. I wasn’t going to draw the memorial but a friend convinced me as
they thought it was something that would be good to record, being a
moment in time. It was shortly after Bowie died, and fans really
congregated around the area, laying flowers and candles, and writing
lyrics and messages. I wanted to try and capture this while the focus
was still on the mural itself. If the sketch is sold the proceeds will
be for charity.

Tell us a bit about yourself. You’re an illustrator with a reportage focus — is that right?

Yes. I tend to think of drawing places on site to sell as original art or prints as a separate part of it though. For illustration, I don’t always have the opportunity to do the whole end product on site, or it’s simply not right for the job. With my Borough Market illustration for example, all the reference is sketched on site in a Moleskine first, which I think helps keep final illustrations feel reportage based. I do this as much as possible with any illustration though, as I think it does really help. I tend to use brush pens when I’m sketching like this as they give flexible line but in a much more portable, quick to use way.

Reliance Arcade, Brixton Road

To see more of James’ art, visit his website or Facebook.