MINUS SOUND RESEARCH 4 Artist Spotlight: John Kurtz “Bull City”
Artist: John Kurtz
Band: Bull City
Tell me about your background. Where you’re from, where you grew up, what interested you as a kid.
I grew up in chapel hill, born and raised in fact. I liked playing outside, fishing, blowing up GI Joes and bb guns and knives and throwing stars - typical stuff for when you have two older brothers (also a younger sister, but she was less of an influence at that time). There was always a piano and a guitar in the house, and I loved messing around playing a bit. Similarly, there was always time to draw and be creative around the house when we weren’t just chopping up the outside world.
How long have you been performing music and how long have you been with your band?
I’ve been playing music since I was 11 or 12 I think, and with Bull City since… maybe… 2007? But I’ve always had friends with guitars and spent time around the campfire playing bluegrass tunes and such, as well as trying to write and record my own stuff.
Was there one defining moment that made you choose music (and/or art) as a profession and life style, or did it happen over time as the sum of many smaller moments - or in a completely different way?
While I definitely consider art and music a major part of my lifestyle, and I love to be creative and play music, I wouldn’t say that there was a “moment”. I just always felt the need to pick up a guitar or draw something or write, no matter what else is going on. For example, I work in a crazy office in new york with about 200 other brokers shouting at each other, but the paper in front of me always fills up with sketches and shapes, and I find it pretty easy to get lost in that.
When did you find yourself getting into visual art?
I was always pretty into art and art classes growing up- I suppose I have the arts programs in chapel hill public schools for that to a large extent.
What has been your biggest influence in the art world (both music & visual)? Where do you find inspiration for both your music and your visual art?
I think probably the far side cartoons by gary larson influenced me a great deal in how I think about visual art. I love the more complex works of great artists- I love to see Picasso, Miro, Chagall, Escher, Dali, Max Ernst, O’Keefe- any time you can see the actual works instead of in a book or photograph, its pretty stunning stuff. But as far as being a technician, I think I’m pretty limited by lack of practice and teaching. So most of my stuff comes back to looking like line drawings and good ole gary larson cartoons. Love that stuff.
What mediums do you prefer to work in?
For the past few years I’ve spent most of the little time I’ve had to pursue visual art in ceramic… it is probably my favorite medium because of its versatility, and the way you can often blend form and function in a way that’s very difficult to do in other media. Nothing in this show is “functional”, unless you wanted to use the slab pieces as tiny plates… which is fine, if you want… but I think that’s part of what originally drew me to ceramic.
Do you have a routine or process that you like to work through?
My process is… get fed up with never doing anything in ceramic or painting or drawing besides doodling, make myself do it, and get really excited about it, hopefully produce some works that I’m excited about, then trail off again. That’s been the model so far. Working on that.
Is there a particular piece of art that you are most proud of? (In other words, do you have a favorite?)
I have two little whale-titled pieces that I quite like for some reason. I don’t know why, I just find the forms kind of amusing. I like humor in art. Sometimes it makes me feel better when I think my pieces aren’t really any good, I think of how it looks like something strange or funny, name it accordingly, and presto! I like the piece, it seems to live again in my imagination.
How did you get involved with the Minus Sound Research show?
I know Maria and Harrison, and we’ve always kind of interacted on a musical level or artistic level perhaps, without our worlds ever really overlapping. So I was very pleased when they offered me the opportunity to be involved here.. it feels very validating.
Have you shown your art in any shows or galleries previously?
I have never really had anything in a proper show, as far as my visual art goes. I’ve donated pieces to charity auctions and stuff like that, but I (ahem) still give a lot of stuff I make to my mom. (Or keep it, and try to eat off it. ‘Is this glaze food-safe? I hope so… this plate has holes in it. This is not as utilitarian as I’d hoped’)
What would you say to someone who is new to this show?
I would, as a fellow Nubian to this show, tell them that they should come out and see and hear what is all around them in the Triangle. Its just brimming over with people being creative, and I think that’s amazing- even after growing up and living there most of my life. Also, I would tell them to not be alarmed if my pieces look out of place. There are some real artists here people! Try to focus on THEIR work, it is really really amazing stuff.
What would you say to someone who saw this show last year?
If you saw it last year, I would say, Bravo- I did too, glad you came back. IT was great, and I think it will be great again. Keep supporting local music and art- it’s the only thing that separates us from the beasts. That and fire. And a handful of other things, but that’s really it.
Do you get something different out of visual art than you do from music? Or do you see a direct correlation between the two art forms?
I think just being creative is very good for the soul… whether its musical or visual, theres something that just cant be re created by anything else… One great distinction for me is the transient nature of music, and how if you didn’t have a recorder on, many times whatever you just played, no matter how great it may have been, can be gone. I like the record of visual art, and how easy it can be to see the growth and evolution of an idea on paper or in clay. Its possible with music too, but theres an immediacy about how that happens in visual art that’s really fun to follow. Also, I make up a bunch of songs that I forget immediately. And something changes when you hit record, something makes it impossible to make the same sounds and words come together as they did just moments before.
Anything else you want to share about this upcoming Minus Sound Research Show?
Thanks for reading these responses. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve doubtless lost interest in the works I’ve provided, but that’s OK. I’m just glad to be here. Viva la MSR4!
