69. James Anthony

In honor of our Mastermind genius awards (we’re accepting submissions until January 7), Cultist proudly presents “100 Creatives,” where we feature Miami’s cultural superheroes. Have suggestions for future profiles? Email cultist@miaminewtimes.com with the whos and whys.

69. James Anthony

James Anthony creates screen-printed apparel and housewares using images culled from science museums, vintage postcards, and other rare ephemera. Choosing visuals he finds “weird as hell,” his online store is full of T-shirts, dresses, and pillowcases donning grinning skulls, stoic Victorian portraits, winged creatures, and regal stags. Originally hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, Anthony left home at 20 to study fashion design in San Francisco. An experience he calls “short-lived but enlightening.”

After selling his home and all his belongings, the designer moved to New

York City where he worked as a gallery assistant and freelance art

installer. Although he hated the work he encountered, Anthony acquired

an important skill: screen-printing. The screen-printing he learned would eventually lead Anthony

to move with his partner to Miami and create his Etsy store in 2007. 

Now

residing in Downtown Miami, Anthony prints his line from his Miami home

and his house in Virginia. He describes the creative process of James

Anthony Apparel: “I hand-print every single garment that leaves my

business using eco-friendly, water-based inks. I maintain a collection

of over 50 images. Each one found through extensive image searches from

around the world and each with a significant historical background.” At

times, Anthony will go through 3000 images in antique books, journals,

and magazines just to find one he sees fit.

​His Phrenology T-shirt  focuses on the pseudoscience belief of the

measurements of the human skull, and the print comes from the Science

Museum in London. Another depicting a woman in a bug costume in front

of an ocean scenery originates from a 20th-century French postcard

titled Le Cigale. “My work is mainly influenced by the images

themselves but also heavily influenced by the works of many late 19th-

and 20th-century artists. From the father of photography, William Fox

Talbot, to the modern-nightmarish photos of Joel-Peter Witkin.” Anthony’s apparel can be purchased at his Etsy store.  

1. List five things that inspire you. 

-Music.-My family (letting me know it’s Okay to be a little messed up).-The process of creating work others appreciate.-Others that create and having common ground with them without pretension. -Baxter, my lovable mess of a dog. 

2. What was your last big project? 

Everyday before today is my last big project. 

3. What’s your next big project?

Starting my own site and collaborating with the willing. Seriously willing…call me. 

4. Why do you do what you do?  

It

keeps me sane and useful and allows me to show others that creativity

and a little drive can be a growing and profitable lifestyle. 
5. What’s something you want Miami to know about you?

When I ruin a perfectly good piece of clothing with something as stupid

as putting too much ink on the screen. I lose my shit. Not like stomp my

foot lose my shit. Like Judy Garland on a fucking bender being told the

pharmacy is out of uppers cause she ate them all lose my shit. Yeah,

remember that kid who killed all those cats? That was me. 
What’s something you don’t want Miami to know about you?

I voted for Rick Scott cause he looks like a fucking zombie.

The Creatives so far:

70. Jim Drain
71. Claudia Calle
72. Kevin Arrow

73. Andrew Hevia
74.

Ana Mendez
75.

Michael McKeever
76.

Diana Lozano
77.

Ricardo Pau-Llosa
78.

Agustina Woodgate
79.

Tarell Alvin McCraney
80.

Jennifer Kronenberg
81.

Farley Aguilar
82.

Colin Foord
83.

Karelle Levy
84.

Matt Gajewski
85.

Antonia Wright
86.

Shareen Rubiera-Sarwar
90.