Damien Kurth studied painting at Otago polytechnic where he gained a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He went on to study for a Master of Fine Arts at Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland.

 

Damien has been a recipient of the Derivan Painting Award, Otago Polytechnic in 1996 and he has been a finalist in many public exhibitions including the Cleveland Art Awards, Dunedin 1997, the Adam Portraiture Awards at the New Zealand portrait Gallery, Wellington 2000 & 2002 and more recently in ‘About Face’ – aspects of portraiture, Papakura Art Gallery, Auckland 2011.

 

Damien’s work is centred around still life and the quieter nuances of tonal pitch through a muted colour palette. His objects reflect a fascination with shape and formal placement and with the dynamics of visual compression contrasted with space.

 

“Kurth's objects have tended to be domestic: familiar empty vessels.

In recent work, his selections have become more self-aware. Jars, lids, brushes, tape; the contents of a million painters' studios. Turning painting back on itself in this way is no new trick, but the frankness of these meta-representations makes them compelling. In juxtaposing the surface effects of a painting (the agency of the painting itself) with objects symbolic of this process of creation, Kurth both presents and represents ‘painting’ “.

Arron Santry - Sanderson Contemporary Art.

 

Damien has taught drawing and painting for many years at both community and tertiary levels and brings a quiet, sensitive and meditative approach to his teaching practice. Damien is represented by Sanderson Contemporary Art in Auckland.

 

To see more of Damien's work please follow the link here: 

Damien Kurth