b. 1970
Lives and works in Melbourne
Through critical investigation James Geurts draws out geographic and conceptual forms that are layered within specific sites of research. The artist examines how natural and cultural forces shape perception.
Geurts works across the disciplines of sculpture, drawing, video, photography and Land Art.
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Exhibitions include: National Gallery of Victoria; White Cube, London; TarraWarra Biennial, awarded the ACME Studio residency London, Australia Council for the Arts, Gemak, Den Haag Netherlands; Centre for Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv Israel; The Sovereign Asian Art Prize, Hong Kong, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; La Chambre Blanche, Quebec; and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.
JAMES GEURTS
SEISMIC FIELD 2018
FLOOD PLAIN 2018
TOPOGRAPHY OF WATER 2014
BASTARDS OF PARADISE 2006
ROAD MAP 2001
SEISMIC FIELD
2018
SEISMIC FIELD -
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Seismic Field examines the relationship between geophysical forms and consciousness. Geurts intervenes the processes of scanning, polaroid photography and 3d mapping as site actions, disrupting the form and colour field, blurring the lines between geology and technological praxis. The works investigate seismic phenomena and cultural context, amplifying their perceptual and physical thresholds.
FLOOD PLAIN
NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA
2018
NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA EXHIBITION TEXT
Floodplain identifies a series of sites and cultural institutions along the floodplain of the 242 kilometre Yarra River (Birrarung) to examine conceptually where the ancient river and the contemporary city collide.
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Based on more than six months of field and archival research undertaken by James Geurts at the State Library Victoria and Melbourne Water, this project explores the impact of floods on the environment and their residue. Floodplain examines where the river has been significantly rerouted or widened over time, in order to influence the potential of future floods, and it draws out unique connections between the river and key cultural institutions situated within the Yarra floodplain.
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This project suggests the natural power of great floods through a series of photographs capturing site-specific light installations. The neon sculptures by Geurts signal the high-water marks of historic Yarra floods, and represent the debris and residue left after the water has subsided.
His photographs, taken at the intersection of day and night, give form to the invisible force and breadth of floods.