The Paintings of Kurt Kamholz

We are a nation of drivers, spending a significant part of our lives gazing out at the world from the windows of our fast-moving cars. This perspective offers us a limited view — we can only see straight ahead and to the sides, and even then, just for a fleeting moment. We catch brief glimpses of scenes before we rush on to the next sight, over the next hill or around the next bend. Unlike our ancestors, who experienced life at a slower pace, we perceive the world from a distance and in a blur. However, the flat landscape of the Midwest may be perfectly suited for this type of viewing, as there is little above but the sky and little below but the ground. Everything is a horizon.

To capture this essence, I utilize a long, wide arrangement of interconnected canvases. I focus on simplicity, avoiding excessive detail and emphasizing light and color instead. The paintings are designed to be swift impressions of our local landscape, mirroring how we typically see it. Ultimately, like all my works, I hope to demonstrate that there is inherent beauty surrounding us, waiting to be noticed, even as we speed past it.

SUNDAY DRIVES

A world viewed from the windows of a passing car . . .

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FARMSCAPES

A world viewed from above. . .

OBLIQUE VIEW

Aerial perspectives differ significantly from traditional land-based
views, and simply adjusting the camera angle can dramatically
change the mood and impact of a painting. To delve into this concept,
I've categorized my Farmscape work into two styles: Bird’s-Eye View
and Topographic. The Bird’s-Eye View employs an oblique angle,
presenting the scene from a slight tilt rather than directly overhead.
In contrast, the Topographic View offers a straight-down perspective.

The oblique viewpoint allows for a slightly angled observation of the
scene, evoking a sense of soaring above the landscape. This
perspective adds visual tension, creating intriguing angles and
shadows. The expansive farm properties and vast open spaces
provide numerous opportunities for exploring color and texture,
while the silos and trees rising from the flat terrain enhance the
illusion of depth. Ultimately, these pieces aim to enrich the slightly
distorted sensation of experiencing a familiar rural scene in a fresh
and captivating manner.

TOPOGRAPHIC VIEW

During my time in aerial cartography, creating precise maps necessitated a
perfectly vertical perspective of the ground below. This alignment allowed
for the most accurate calculations of elevation, as minimal tilt in
perspective yielded the best results. While such a viewpoint provides
limited depth, it reveals a captivating contrast between the rigid geometric
lines of human-made roads and fields and the fluid, sweeping curves of the
natural landscape. The stark differences between the dark shades of trees
and rivers against the warm browns and ochres of the earth create a
striking visual dynamic. This abstract quality inspired me to infuse more
abstraction into my painting.

These artworks are crafted using oil mixed with cold wax, a more
accessible alternative to encaustic painting. Unlike encaustic, it doesn’t
require heat but achieves a similarly hard, beeswax-like finish. This texture
allows for a variety of techniques, such as sanding with steel wool,
massaging with cotton, and scratching into the surface while wet or dry,
along with adding layers of oil crayon, smudging, and blending. This
approach differs significantly from my usual process. The resulting pieces
are abstract, richly colored, and aim to capture the distinctive
characteristics of this stringent aerial perspective.

For many years I made my living as an aerial cartographer, drawing plan and contour maps from aerial photos. As a result, I became intrigued
with seeing the earth from the sky, and it was only a matter of time before I began to incorporate this perspective into my landscapes.

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SLACKTIDES

A world looking down at a beach . . .

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These paintings are inspired by the countless hours I've spent walking along the beaches of
Florida, captivated by the surf and the mesmerizing motion of water on the sand. They focus on
elements such as color, light, composition, and texture rather than adhering to a traditional
seascape. Each piece captures a fleeting moment when the tide is perfectly balanced, neither
advancing nor retreating, but suspended in time. They represent a small cube in space, nestled
between the expansive ocean behind and the broad beach in front, as well as the solid earth
beneath and the limitless sky above. My goal is to encapsulate the relentless pull of the water
towards the sea, the sun's sparkle, and the tranquility of the sand beneath the waves.

These paintings are created using acrylics, often incorporating various drying or textural
additives to better convey the different layers both underwater and along the shore.

Just as the rhythm of waves mimics that of a musical score, I have named the later works in this
series using Italian terms that reflect musical tempo.

About the Artist

I use a mishmash of styles in my work. I am influenced by both Photorealism and Impressionism, and most of my work has emerged from and is a constantly changing combination of the two. I try and balance on a ledge between them. It is a precarious ledge. In my best work I don’t fall to either side.

I am learning and growing and challenging myself in a lot of different ways, and am still, as always, captivated by the smell of oil paint, the bounce of brush on a taut canvas, and, though it doesn’t happen often, the indescribable feeling I get when what ends up on the blank canvas looks exactly as I envisioned it in my mind.

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