Filled with obscure incantations and rituals, James Smolleck's paintings explore humanity's impulse to make the unknown knowable. While his work uses realist techniques, he arranges his subjects in stylized compositions that often incorporate symmetry and elements of sacred geometry. They're strangely satisfying to look at with their neat arrangements. His shape-shifting figures are often hybrids of animals, humans, and spirits, inviting a sense of playfulness and mystery.