Quentin Curry

Quentin Curry (b. 1972 Johnstown, PA) studied at Bard College in New York and The San Francisco Art Institute.  His work was featured in the Second Biennial of the Canary Islands in Spain.  Solo exhibitions prior to “A Brand New Day” include Stellan Holm Gallery in New York, and Kantor/Feuer Gallery in Los Angeles. Noteworthy placements include the Hort and Saatchi Collection. In addition to several national group shows, he was featured in AB NY Gallery’s summer 2021 reopening, “It’s Never Abstract to its Author” in East Hampton, NY. Curry lives and works in Sagaponack, NY.

In the past, Curry has used stone dust and oil paint to produce textured, semi-abstract landscapes. His recent works explore a more freehand and primal approach with painting and mark making. While recreating natural forms such as leaves and rocks, Curry’s paintings and sculptures suggest a modern day reinterpretation of ancient pictographs, etched or drawn onto the layered surfaces of paint and material.

Surf Series Statement of Work

“The surfer is now a recurring theme of my painting practice. During a phone call in 2015 I was inspired to begin scratching on a piece of paper. What began as a preconscious, repetitive free-form of squiggling doodles evolved until I drew a crude figure with a surfboard—something about this resonated with my passion for surfing and surfer culture, piquing my full curiosity. I decided to elaborate on this discovery with paint and color. This took on a life of its own, enabling me to explore this subject in the same way I pursue formal ideas within my painting process. The raw character of this subject allowed me to play with paint and color in an open manner making the surfer paintings one of my favorite subjects and something I am consistently returning to. This work allows me to flow in any direction the painting calls for (not unlike the movement of surfer on wave). My subject, and the way it is painted is, mercurial and unpredictable. This allows for the freedom to explore aspects of painting that I love—color/form/gesture/subject—ultimately to find malleability in the act of painting. I call them surfer paintings, but they are more like surf guides—within this body of work I found a trusted friend to whom I can return time and again to explore our mutual interest in painting.” – Quentin Curry, June 2022

Made Ready Series Statement of Work

“These are the most minimal paintings that I produce, instead of introducing narrative visual information, I paint the surface to look like primed canvas thus making canvas the subject. This allows the painting to be free from time and space. These act as a form of enlightenment because the subject has yet to be muddled with painted visual thoughts, much like meditation where you release all the minds chatter and you are left with openness beyond judgement of the little me.” – Quentin Curry, July 2021