A BEAUTIFUL WASTE OF TIME, FROM ANONYMOUS ARTIST JAMES MCQUEEN
A Beautiful Waste of Time, the latest solo exhibition from anonymous artist James McQueen, opened to the public at Halcyon in Mayfair on 2nd March.
The exhibition presents a new body of work using vintage book covers as a starting point for bold, satirical paintings.
The exhibition brings together a focused selection of new and recent works by McQueen. Working primarily with the visual language of vintage book covers, he reimagines forms designed for immediacy and consumption through a materially and conceptually layered painting process.
James McQueen, Halcyon Gallery, 2026
Across the exhibition, McQueen’s signature titles appear alongside new phrases, featuring satirical and confrontational humour drawn from personal experience and popular culture.
The works reveal McQueen’s increasingly direct engagement with art history. References to major artists—including Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama, Banksy, Damien Hirst, Jackson Pollock, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana, and Takashi Murakami—are absorbed into the graphic book cover format through McQueen’s recognisable titles and gestural process.
James McQueen, Halcyon Gallery, 2026
The result is a body of work that resonates both universally and personally, humorously incorporating themes of love, hope, vulnerability, and defiance as part of the artist’s ongoing exploration of authenticity.
In creating his art, McQueen applies paint in abundance through numerous layers which, once dried, are sanded down to create a coarse aesthetic reminiscent of worn vintage books. Surfaces are often finished with lacquer, adding richness and vibrancy.
James McQueen, Halcyon Gallery, 2026
Exploring themes of Pop Art and abstraction, his complex application of paint elevates the work beyond mere imitation of nostalgic objects. Instead, the books are represented not as they were when first published, but as they exist today—stained, faded, annotated, and worn.
McQueen remains an enigma in the art world, working under a pseudonym since 2017. He explains: “Keeping behind the mask enables me to enjoy the creative process without being concerned about praise or recognition. I enjoy what I do and don’t want that to change or to be changed through judgement. I want my art to speak for itself.”