James Mueller

My Story

James Mueller, an esteemed author and artist, holds an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree, a testament to his significant contributions to the arts. His artistic journey has taken him globally, with notable solo exhibitions in Paris, New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami. He resides in Arizona, maintaining a life of anonymity, known only to his three children, Tashua, Ali, Lizzie, and the IRS.

James Mueller is the author of “Confessions of St. Augustine,” published by Iconoclast Publishing. The book is comparable to “Catcher in the Rye,” an extensive collection of his art.

In 1976, Mueller’s work caught the eye of Robert Abplanalp, a wealthy business tycoon, who sponsored a solo exhibition at the prestigious Gallery Chardin in Paris. Despite a postal strike that hindered the invitations’ delivery, the exhibition drew key critics, resulting in glowing reviews. These reviews and Mueller’s paintings remain integral to his book promotions.

Initially hesitant to embrace his radical ideas, Mueller’s alma mater later recognized his achievements with an honorary doctorate, the first in the institution’s history. This honor, a testament to his unwavering dedication to his craft, marked a turning point in his career, leading to further accolades and solo exhibitions.

Beyond his artistic endeavors, Mueller dedicated over twenty years to working and living with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and crafting his trilogy of novels in a monastic environment. This lifestyle allowed him to focus on his writing, free from the pressures of the art world.

For the past decade, Mueller has lived and worked with the Apache Indians on a small mission, deeply integrating into their culture and being asked to serve as their youth director and baseball coach. This bond has enriched his artistic and literary work. His art career took a miraculous turn in 1976, just two years after he started, when a trustee of Miami University showcased his work. An influential man with companies in 19 countries bought his entire collection, leading to one-person shows, a gallery for the New York State Indian collection, a portrait of Nixon, and numerous international exhibitions, including a Paris show. These experiences have solidified Mueller as a distinctive and influential figure in the art world.

“The visceral of a Burchfield, the vision of a Hopper, the virtuosity of a Wyeth and you begin to understand the paintings of Augustine Schmitt.”

–CONNOISSEUR DES ARTS

“The painter is becoming a veritable voice of his times… his pastels—portraits and landscapes—combining the soul of a Homer and the eye of an Eakins—has hit France like the D-Day invasion—Yes, Paris is burning, but this time not at the cost of its art.”

–PLEIN AIR OF PARIS

“Schmitt is indisputably one of the best artists in decades to capture the essence of America’s international aura, evoking an America of the movies we grew up on—James Dean, Paul Newman, and Marlon Brando—an MGM color pallet with a Warner Brothers bite—Chuck Jones let loose in the art department…”

–JET SET INTERNATIONAL

“Jack Kerouac with a paint brush. Hop in your woody, and “get your kicks on Route 66″ because Gus Schmitt takes you down a road that has turned into American myth: Tod and Buz in their Corvette, Brando on his motorcycle, or Huck and JIm floating down the Mississippi—it’s all there…”

–PARIS ARTS

“A staggering variety of sub-themes and styles best united by one common thread running through them all: the American Dream. It’s man’s universal search for his lost Eden. Perhaps no other artist plumbs the depths (or heights) of it all as plaintively as Augustine Schmitt: 16th century Indians and 20th century Main Street America? See for yourself. It’s a feast for the eyes.”

–THE PARISIAN PERSPECTIVE

“America—past and present, memory and myth—underneath it all is an unspoken yearning that’s undeniably there somewhere just beyond Gatsby’s reach that beckons us all. If truth be told, too many critics today may know a lot about art, but don’t know what they like. Gus Schmitt’s recent one man show on the Left Bank may not resolve that question, but it’ll go a long way to restoring the validity of the former—‘but I know what I like!'”

–THE LEFT BANK PREVIEW

“And the critics come and go casting aspersions to and fro, but unlike the pretentious pedants of T.S. Eliot’s ‘Love Song,’ Schmitt’s love song lays bare Pruefrock’s hesitation to descend the stair—with a bald spot in the middle of his hair—by shaving it all off!”

–THE SYMBOLIST

“Schmitt plays with the sacred and then tears it apart. Then turns around and picks up the pieces and makes them sacred. A master of capturing our icons while at the same time reminding us just how ephemeral they all are.”

–THE ROUSSEAUIST REVIEW