September 2017: Michael Kurz
Michael Kurz has titled his show “Borders”. He investigates boundaries and markings that divide one space from another. “Within this theme, I am interested in exploring when one thing becomes something else, like how a line on the ground can determine where we can and cannot park and then another line on the ground determines our citizenship.” Kurz explains that his interest in this theme started as a reaction to the border wall proposal in US presidential politics, but he expanded the concept during a flight from Mexico to the US. “I got an aerial view of the land below and I saw this patchwork of farms, residential areas, commercial areas and then I also saw how oceans, rivers, and mountain ranges cut through all of these distinct lines that humans make. It made me want to scrutinize what a border is.” He applies his painterly sense of exploration and improvisation to the work, meandering between abstract and representational painting. A sense of wonder and discovery drive the artist to experiment continuously.