In June at Blockfort we host a unique exhibition featuring the work of siblings Anne and Mark Spurgeon. Despite spending years in different cities and working in different mediums, there are striking similarities between the two artists’ work. When approached about the idea of exhibiting together, the two brought back the idea of “blood harmony” referring to the uniquely rich and resonant sound created when related people, especially siblings, sing together, stemming from shared vocal DNA. This concept too exists in their artwork which will be on display from June 5-28. An opening reception will take place on June 5 from 6-8pm.
ABOUT ANNE
Anne Spurgeon is an interdisciplinary artist whose work has spanned performance, video, works on paper, painting, and ceramics. Questions of transformation recur throughout her creative practice, whether through the body, process, or material. Her earliest work centered on performance, from playing guitar on stage to private video pieces exploring identity and the porous boundary between public and private self. Over time, her focus shifted away from the personal consciousness of the body toward the transformation of compositional processes and materials, particularly the movement between two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms.
She has exhibited nationally and internationally, including shows at ISE Cultural Foundation (New York, NY), Exit Art (New York, NY), Artist Space (New York, NY), Riffe Gallery (Columbus, OH), and the Wexner Center for the Arts (Columbus, OH). Her work has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The New York Times blog, and Artnet News.Spurgeon is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including professional artist individual support grants from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, a collective artists grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and support from the Austrian Cultural Forum and the Waskowmium. Spurgeon holds a BFA from The Ohio State University and an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
ABOUT MARK
Mark Spurgeon is an interdisciplinary artist working in Columbus, Ohio. His work encompasses nearly 30 years as a musician and visual artist.
Throughout his parallel creative practices, Mark explores themes concerning our global climate crisis, social justice, and the transitory nature of existence. His vibrantly-colored paintings center abstracted forms and naturalistic, sometimes symbolic imagery. Intrepid overpainting and pentimento exemplify this work, and reveal harmonic explorations, grace notes, and blink-and-you-missed-it representations, hinting at a melody, or the shared rhythm of an improvised passage of music. A multi-instrumentalist, Mark leads his own ensembles, and collaborates with other musicians on stage and in studio. Among the commonalities are a rigorous engagement with the creative process, and a desire to retain the artifacts- a fossil record, serving to unearth veins for visual and aural exploration, and cross-fertilization. His work has been recognized in The New York Times Magazine, SPIN, and No Depression.
Mark holds a BFA from The Ohio State University.