Blair Thurman. Mature Blonde

Almine Rech Gallery is pleased to present American artist Blair Thurman’s first solo exhibition with the gallery. Entitled Mature Blonde, the exhibition comprises entirely new paintings. Nicolas Trembley, art critic and curator, took this opportunity to interview Blair Thurman about his inspirations and practice.

Nicolas Trembley: What’s your background? Where did you study and what did you study?

Blair Thurman: As I’ve said, I had a very fortunate childhood in regards to art. In my teenage years, I drifted away from it — typical ‘70s high school — sex, drugs, a lot of road trips to the beach. When the time came for me to find a profession, the only thing that I was cut out to do really was to be an artist. Perhaps we had always assumed that’s what I would do. In Nova Scotia where I went to school, there was a very strong art history and conceptual program, but I felt I needed some kind of discipline, which I found in printmaking. I guess I was trying to pick up some kind of work ethic. It was labor intensive but I discovered a lot of interesting things about seriality, modification, and things like image reversal — I always wound up liking the backwards plate more than the finished print no matter which one I started with, it was always the other one that was better. And I thought about this when I read…