Robert Zurer
Robert Zurer, 'The Observatory', 2024, oil on canvas, 61 x 46cm
Robert Zurer makes oil paintings. Comprised of figurative and abstract biomorphic forms, they are intuitive and process-driven. He begins with random or automatic gestures and without external source material or a preconceived idea or plan. Focused on becoming open to the process, and paying close attention, Zurer awaits a dialog with the painting, a call and response, an impulse or message coming from the outside, perhaps from our collective unconscious. In the final stages, an open-ended narrative emerges that almost always describes our human condition – the existential struggle between body and soul.
Robert Zurer is a native New Yorker who has lived and worked in New York City all his life. He recently relocated to Philadelphia where he now maintains his studio practice. He is primarily self-taught, although from 1999 to 2006 he attended weekly private group classes with the painter and teacher Wade Schuman. Zurer has also been an active member of the NYC Crit Club since its inception in 2017. In 2022 he was accepted into the White Columns Curated Artist Registry. In 2023 he was a resident at the Vermont Studio Center.In 2024, he was a resident at Arts, Letters & Numbers. His work was recently accepted to the @mepaintsme Open Call.