Cyber Blade group show curated by Rick Villodas

luke kurtis with his "muse" prints at Cyber Blade

This past weekend I showed some work from my muse series for the first time since last year. Rick Villodas, who first saw my muse prints in the Just Panic… show, curated the Cyber Blade show. He selected some of the works that were in Just Panic (muse no.’s 7, 11, and 12) along with muse no. 18, which had never been shown before. It was just a weekend pop-up show but I was able to make it up to Danbury that Sunday. It was refreshing to get out of the city for an afternoon (even though it was a bit cold–the venue’s furnace was out that weekend)! Above is a photo of me with my work (photo by Matthew Cales).

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An August Update (In September)

Paul Toussaint and luke kurtis at The Empty Spaces Project in Putnam, CT

August was a busy month for me (hell, it’s been a busy year with no signs of things letting up any time soon). I thought I would round up a little update here with a sampling of my going-ons this past month.

I showed work from my muse series at a new gallery in Putnam, CT. I was very happy to be part of The Empty Spaces Project’s debut exhibition, curated by Paul Tousaint. It’s an excellent gallery space with beautiful light. The town of Putnam is delightful and artsy (and boasts northeastern Connecticut’s only sushi bar).

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Just Panic… exhibition in NYC

luke kurtis in front of his work at the Just Panic... exhibition in NYC

I don’t know how I let this happen but somehow in the hustle and bustle of it all, I never even mentioned here that I had several works in Derek Nicoletto‘s show Just Panic And Get It Over With at 287 Spring gallery in NYC. It was a quick, one-weekend popup show from 12 July to 14 Mar. I was very happy to be part of this amazing group of artists. I showed six works from my muse series. No’s 7-12 marked the New York debut of this ongoing body of work.

One of the highlights of the opening was the chance to meet some of the members of the í¼ber-cool synth punk band ATTACK.WAV. Tree Wave wrote up a great piece on the show over at Plus Heart Star and used a few of my photos of the opening. Tree Wave called my work “rad” and “next-level pop-art-ish.” How cool is that?

Other artists in the show included Christopher Stout, Rob Ordonez, and Paul J. Toussaint. Be sure to check out their sites as they are doing very interesting work. But there was so much talent present. Take a peek at the Just Panic Facebook page to see all the artists and their work. Many of the works are still for sale. As Derek said… want to support the arts? Support an artist!

Thank you to all who came out. And, of course, thank you to Derek Nicoletto for making it all happen.

muse exhibition opens in Raleigh, NC

muse poster

Raleigh art collector Geraldine Bryan is proud to present muse, an intimate solo exhibition of new work by artist luke kurtis. Please join us at Community United Church of Christ (814 Dixie Trail in Raleigh) on Saturday, March 9, from 2-4 PM for the exhibition opening and to hear the artist discuss his work in a casual setting. The exhibition will remain on view until 20 April and is viewable by appointment (call 919-787-6422 or 919-787-8494).

muse is a series of never-before-exhibited digital collage prints that evolved out of the artist’s Jordan’s Journey project. Through a detailed process combining both digital and analogue techniques, kurtis probes the areas of spirituality, history, science, and fashion. Where Jordan’s Journey explored the idea of personal and collective memory through the lens of genealogical history, the muse series hones in on a sense of alternate reality. The muse images approach the symbolism of tarot cards or even religious icons yet function beyond that realm. The muses possess a psychedelic fashion sense while layers of scientific and technical imagery bring a sci-fi element to the works. These pieces illustrate the artist’s evolving technique and highlight his vision of a new world where spirituality and science are integrated aspects of the human experience.

luke kurtis (also known as Jordan M. Scoggins) is a Georgia-born interdisciplinary artist focusing on the intersection of photography, writing, and design. He lives and works in New York’s Greenwich Village.

Geraldine Bryan is a long-time art collector and Raleigh resident. She was a docent at the North Carolina Museum of Art for 18 years and is pleased to present the Raleigh debut of kurtis’s work.