James Lindsay graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in printmaking at Glasgow School of Art in 1967 and continued his studies at the Jordanhill College of Education, teaching art for two years before immigrating to Canada in 1970. He settled first in Edmonton, then moved to Victoria in 1974. He was National Vice President of the Canadian Artists Representation (CAR or CARFAC) in 1979, becoming involved in the issues of artist’s rights, copyright, censorship and artist’s fees and lobbied for changes in legislation to benefit Canadian visual artists.
In 1981 he moved into his Fan Tan alley studio in Victoria’s Chinatown, becoming a major part of the Victoria arts scene in the 1980s, along with other painters, poets and photographers including Luis Merino, Laird Campbell, Bert Vandergugten, D’Arcy Gould, Luis Ituarte and Casey Tebbutt.
His works are represented in public and private collections including the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Canada Council Art Bank, the Province of British Columbia Art Collection and the University of Victoria Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery.
Essay
James Lindsay is a printmaker, teacher and art activist. His prints embrace darkness, pushing the boundaries of convention in challenging arenas. He taught arts and crafts at the federal penitentiary William Head Institution from 1975-79. In 1981, Lindsay produced a number of big edition prints using 4 colour process offset lithography mixed with other media.
