Stan Kurth- Art and Meaning

"Magma", Acrylic on Yupo, 24" X 18"
"Magma" won the David Gale Memorial Award (2nd Place) in the 35th Annual
Western Federation of Watercolor Societies Exhibition 2010 hosted by the
Utah Watercolor Society and the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West
Valley City, Utah.


"What meaning does doing art have for you?"

What a question! The answer is a bit elusive and for me has evolved over the
years, but the constant challenge of answering it in my mind is part of the
answer. I am rather introspective, so in line with that, I have this ongoing need
to understand why I am so compelled to make art. I have been painting, drawing
and looking at art for as long as I can remember. Often making art is frustrating,
but ultimately I find it rewarding. Art making is an inner calling; I was created in
the [spiritual] image of God and from that my purpose derives. If I don't do art,
I'm opposing the spirit within me and this creates a void. But I was born for this
purpose and I am driven by it and cannot deny it. I must make art. Thus far it
has been all about the process since I can never "sum it all up" in a single work,
or a multitude of works for that matter, and I don't have an end in sight. Does
any artist have an end in sight? All of us have heard at least one story of an artist,
weak and near death, yet still making art. My worst nightmare is becoming a
commercial success, painting daisies or doggies, or anything else repetitiously.
At my best I am in a trance; I am a medium spewing this abstract language of
marks and symbols from the deepest recesses of my soul, and maybe some from
the shallow recesses as well. All the art I have made from childhood to today has
taken me closer to a more profound answer to this question; I doubt it will ever
be fully answered. Art is my language and it has taken sixty years to impart the
communique in my work.

"The artist’s eye should always be turned in upon his inner life, and his ear should be
always alert for the voice of inward necessity. This is the only way of giving expression
to what the mystic vision commands." -
Kandinsky

Stan's website is: http://stankurth.com
His blog address is: http://watermediaworks.blogspot.com
His email: stan.kurth@gmail.com