The success of James Kandt's early years as a painter did not delimit his growth; and after years torn between representationalism and experimentation, he found his true voice in what he refers to as  abstract realism.  Whether Kandt is working with oil on panel or charcoal on paper, a subject like a tree will disport itself in impressively life-like detail, the vagaries of its bark brought to life through skilled brushstrokes and impasto.  And yet Kandt’s application of colors—which stray just slightly from natural earth tones—and the manner in which he breaks up the ground of the image creates a decentering effect.  

On top of this, Kandt often forces upon the viewer an unusual angle or point of view, helping us encounter nature in a way we can’t quite do in the world.  Walking through an exhibit of Kandt’s trees is a trip through a forest half-remembered and half-dreamed:  everything is recognizable, but all is new.