VIDEOGRAPHY
a harras
a harras is a video work combining monochrome imagery, electronic sound, and incantatory spoken word into a dark and surreal meditation on ritual and repetition. Through carefully composed static frames, the artist moves through an unfamiliar space, transforming an ordinary physical action into a slow, deliberate performance. The work unfolds as an encounter between image, sound, and language, creating an ambiguous world suspended between the familiar and the unknown.
fissure coming roundabout and longing, full circle
fissure coming roundabout and longing, full circle is a meditative video work built from a series of static compositions that blur the boundary between observation and abstraction. Layers of water, sky, and weathered surfaces gradually overlap and dissolve into one another, creating shifting images that invite sustained observation rather than narrative. Paired with a sparse instrumental score, the work unfolds as a quiet study of light, texture, duration, and impermanence.
the last happy days
the last happy days is a meditative video work constructed from a single static shot filmed at daybreak on the artist’s family farm in northwest Georgia. Layers of forward and reversed footage create a landscape in quiet motion, where drifting clouds and the gradual emergence of light slowly reveal the contours of a familiar place before they begin to dissolve again. Paired with an ambient electronic score, the work transforms an observed landscape into something suspended between memory and abstraction.
seaside magic
seaside magic and waiting for the tide are meditative video works assembled from footage captured during a retreat by the sea. Observing the rhythms of water, light, and landscape, the works unfold slowly, inviting sustained attention to moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed.
seance
seance is an experimental short film from luke kurtis, and an EP of electronic music from the film.
Building upon kurtis’s the woods are watching and convergence projects, seance extends those earlier installations into the realm of performance. The work explores the artist’s roots in the rural south and features a cameo by his mother. ”Directing my mother was something new and different. While my father appeared in woods and convergence,” the artist recalled, ”my mother never showed up on screen.” This time around, she’s not only there but plays an important if brief role in the film.
”Of my interest in ancestors and genealogy, someone once told me it’s a form of mediumship,” says the artist. ”And that really comes through in this work. I think of my ancestors all the time. I talk to my grandmothers and grandfathers, those who came generations before me. If that’s not a form of seance, I don’t know what is.”
convergence
convergence is an earth art installation exploring the idea that all humans are created equal. The project consists of three holes dug into the earth. These holes symbolize the graves of all humanity—mothers, fathers, and children. In death, we all return to the earth no matter who we are, how much money we have, or what kind of lives we live. Solar-powered orbs in each hole represent the soul and illuminate every day at dusk.
Behind-the-scenes
the woods are watching
the woods are watching video documents the artist’s installation art project of the same name. This environmental work uses the artist’s earlier genealogy-rooted work as a counterpoint to engage with his ancestral landscape and explore the connection between humans, technology, and nature. Part of the Crayon Portraiture. project.
Behind-the-scenes
Invocation
luke kurtis created this music video for Invocation by Michael Harren, which is from his Tentative Armor project. It features footage from kurtis’s first visit to Iceland, including an early performance of the journey piece.
speak of the dead
speak of the dead explores the role of history, religion, and family and how those forces have often opposed kurtis’s identity as a queer artist. Part of the baptism suite project.
INTERSECTION exhibition
INTERSECTION was an exhibition by luke kurtis at Massillon Museum. These videos document the behind-the-scenes and the making of the exhibition.