Carly Kurka
About
Carly Kurka (b.1989) is a contemporary artist based in St. Louis, Missouri. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She also received a minor in Art History and Archeology. In addition to her studio practice, Carly works as a printer at Pele Prints, a collaborative printmaking studio based in St. Louis. Carly works directly with her mentor, Amanda Verbeck, a collaborative print publisher.
Carly’s current work includes multi-colored flats of color that are gridded out to form a shape. With a concentration in geology and various forms of nature, she abstracts natural and organic forms into her composition. She considers her shape of choice as a “diamond grenade," and her palette choices are often an almost monochrome set of a hue with a pop of color. The pop can usually be recognized by the overlaying palette’s complementary color. She is interested in playing with implied perspective and various interacting planes on a single flat surface. The form’s implied 3D surfaces are caused by strategically planned hues. Multiple surfaces of the blocks in her work are sometimes collaged as well. Carly further integrates her nature background by using handmade paper in sections of her collaged monoprints. As there is no true outline to the shape, tinted and shaded colors act as one with negative space serving as implied lines. Minimalism and simplicity are important to Carly as her main focus includes color theory and shape. Carly’s work includes all three elements of painting, drawing, and printmaking.