about James R. Bakkom


Scarecrow DNA—My Theme I've often wondered what the criteria were for emerging artists and the difference between 'art' and fine art'. Why can't a guy in his late 60's be one of those emerging artists? I've been fortunate to do 'my art' through theatre as property master at the Guthrie Theatre, as production designer in film and television, and also have maintained my studio doing ‘fine art’ or, as I think of it "Sanity Art". My objective here will be to introduce you to Scarecrow DNA, my theme. I discovered it through genius and stumbling luck and find it amazingly interesting and liberating. The scarecrow image was the genius of this process…not just any scarecrow, but a "Hessian Scarecrow". Hessian is an inclusive term for German mercenaries who fought for the British during the American Revolution, the Battle of Saratoga in particular. The Americans won at Saratoga and acquired a vast supply of very flashy German uniforms—of passing interest to me until I learned that as late as the 1840s in Upstate New York, it was not uncommon to see Hessian Scarecrows in the fields. I like to draw, and the image was just too good to pass up; thus, drawings led to sculpting fthe first 3-D scarecrow, then another. The process took over and all I could do was contribute to the happening much like an out-of-body experience. Everything I did seemed right. The DNA vision was constantly morphing, from PC to PC as the beginning quickly gave way to variations of technique. In the midst of this epiphany, I hauled out to western Minnesota to be the production designer for a movie and I walked into the landscape of the crow. My love of landscape painting was to take on a total new direction, combining painting/sculpting ala DNA. I came back home in a drawing frenzy, fuel for the next round of ideas. If there is a conclusion to all this, it is that there can never be a conclusion. Trust your instincts as an artist and always push the envelope. I have discovered a creative DNA that is whole and peculiar to me, but I suspect many of its characteristics have been an integral part of my creative life...since my first pencil. E-mail:

Scarecrow DNA—My Theme

I've often wondered what the criteria were for emerging artists and the difference between 'art' and fine art'. Why can't a guy in his late 60's be one of those emerging artists?

     I've been fortunate to do 'my art' through theatre as property master at the Guthrie Theatre, as production designer in film and television, and also have maintained my studio doing ‘fine art’ or, as I think of it "Sanity Art". My objective here will be to introduce you to Scarecrow DNA, my theme. I discovered it through genius and stumbling luck and find it amazingly interesting and liberating.

     The scarecrow image was the genius of this process…not just any scarecrow, but a "Hessian Scarecrow". Hessian is an inclusive term for German mercenaries who fought for the British during the American Revolution, the Battle of Saratoga in particular. The Americans won at Saratoga and acquired a vast supply of very flashy German uniforms—of passing interest to me until I learned that as late as the 1840s in Upstate New York, it was not uncommon to see Hessian Scarecrows in the fields.

     I like to draw, and the image was just too good to pass up; thus, drawings led to sculpting fthe first 3-D scarecrow, then another. The process took over and all I could do was contribute to the happening much like an out-of-body experience. Everything I did seemed right. The DNA vision was constantly morphing, from PC to PC as the beginning quickly gave way to variations of technique.

     In the midst of this epiphany, I hauled out to western Minnesota to be the production designer for a movie and I walked into the landscape of the crow. My love of landscape painting was to take on a total new direction, combining painting/sculpting ala DNA. I came back home in a drawing frenzy, fuel for the next round of ideas.

     If there is a conclusion to all this, it is that there can never be a conclusion. Trust your instincts as an artist and always push the envelope. I have discovered a creative DNA that is whole and peculiar to me, but I suspect many of its characteristics have been an integral part of my creative life...since my first pencil.

E-mail:
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