{"id":3302,"date":"2012-05-24T09:42:10","date_gmt":"2012-05-24T14:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/college.web.unc.edu\/?p=3302"},"modified":"2024-07-02T13:29:45","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T13:29:45","slug":"stamer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=3302","title":{"rendered":"Southern Comfort: Sharing rural N.C. with NYC\u2019s art scene"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Damian Stamer in his studio (photo by Mark Derewicz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three o\u2019clock in the morning. It\u2019s quiet and there\u2019s no one around. A dim light emanates from beneath the studio door. Inside, among scattered books and photos, Damian Stamer<\/a> puts the finishing touches on a painting titled Matinee<\/em>, in which a remnant of a barn appears through a mysterious portal. (See a slideshow<\/a> of Stamer\u2019s work.)<\/p>\n

Stamer\u2019s first solo art show in Manhattan is three weeks away at the popular Freight + Volume gallery. He\u2019ll show 14 pieces. He still needs to finish two. Luckily, he doesn\u2019t mind painting through the night. He actually prefers it.<\/p>\n

Stamer, an MFA student at Carolina, spends a lot of time in rural Durham County, where as a kid he used to tromp through forests and farms, tinkering with rusted-out equipment and exploring abandoned barns with his twin brother.<\/p>\n

He snaps hundreds of photos, looking for something visually striking or nostalgic. \u201cI never know what I\u2019ll use until I get back to the studio,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The photos are for inspiration. Stamer studies them, and then picks one \u2014 a hay bale, a tobacco shack. He dons headphones, puts a few songs on repeat, and then, trusting his experience and knowledge of technique, he paints.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I make my best work when I\u2019m not really thinking at all,\u201d Stamer says. \u201cIt may sound odd, but I think it\u2019s like an athlete being in the zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stamer uses oil paints but experiments with other media, such as charcoal and graphite, to help him produce textures and visuals. \u201cI\u2019m always looking for new tools and ways to spread paint,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve used masking tape, squeegees, heavy-duty paper towels, solvents, and even a frying pan to splatter paint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stamer approaches each painting differently, but each one includes at least one realistic depiction of the Durham County landscape and layers of abstraction to create tension. \u201cEspecially with landscapes, you can create this depth,\u201d he says. \u201cIt comes out and pops toward you.\u201d Or, in the case of Red State<\/em>, red splotches frame the landscape, pushing it back as if seen through a window. Red State<\/em> is the most obvious case, but each painting is like a window into the past.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Damian Stamer, "Untitled"<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A product of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Stamer drew inspiration as a youth from contemporary painters such as Robert Rauschenberg. \u201cI was drawn to his combination of abstract and realistic imagery, and how a brushstroke or drip of paint could have as much visual power as an image of JFK,\u201d Stamer says. \u201cRauschenberg had an amazing compositional touch, and his images never seemed forced or overworked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stamer\u2019s high-school thesis was a series of family portraits with abstract backgrounds, and he continued to combine abstracts with painted depictions of real objects during his undergraduate work at Arizona State and later at two European art schools. When he returned to the United States in 2008, he decided to take on New York\u2019s art scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt overwhelmed at first,\u201d he says. But as Stamer slowly met fellow artists and made friends, he showed them his paintings stacked in the corners of his brother\u2019s New York apartment, which doubled as Stamer\u2019s studio. At a party he met the painter John Newsom, who encouraged Stamer and took an interest in his work. They\u2019d talk for hours about their craft. \u201cJohn became a mentor,\u201d Stamer says. \u201cHe\u2019s the one who introduced me to the gallery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freight + Volume<\/a> liked Stamer\u2019s work. They displayed select pieces and eventually took him on as a featured artist, promoting his paintings at galleries around the country and promising him a show. In the summer of 2011, around the time Stamer decided to seek a master\u2019s degree from Carolina, the gallery made good on its promise. Stamer\u2019s first solo show was set for spring 2012.<\/p>\n

For MFA students, a solo show in New York is highly coveted and rare. But instead of pumping out pieces for the gallery, Stamer gave his full attention to school requirements. \u201cI love academia,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to have an intense program where people are invested in your work. They get to know it so well. It\u2019s a good time for growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Sometimes Stamer works late into the night, when it's peaceful and quiet. (photo by Mark Derewicz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the program\u2019s first semester, professors encourage students to experiment. Stamer enjoyed stretching his imagination, but by the end of the semester he didn\u2019t think his finished products were up to snuff. \u201cThere were things to be taken from that work,\u201d he says, \u201cbut those paintings weren\u2019t how I wanted to present myself in my first show in New York. So I got really busy over break.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stamer does his best work when Hanes Art Center has emptied. Sometimes he\u2019ll paint through the night. \u201cI like when it\u2019s quiet and no one\u2019s around,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

From December 2011 through March 2012, Stamer painted six pieces for Freight + Volume. He also finished two others he\u2019d started in the fall. To round out the gallery collection, he added six older paintings.<\/p>\n

On April 12, his work complete, Stamer is at Freight + Volume in the heart of Chelsea\u2019s art district. He can finally breathe as aficionados admire a show he\u2019s titled \u201cSouthern Comfort.\u201d As prospective buyers bend his ear over cocktails, Stamer feels as if he\u2019s at the beginning of something special rather than at the end of years of hard work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m homing in on some interesting ideas,\u201d he says, \u201cand I think the work is getting to a compelling place. But it\u2019s dangerous to think you\u2019re producing great work, because then you won\u2019t push yourself to the next level. It\u2019s good to never be fully balanced.\u201d<\/p>\n

Regarding the show itself, Stamer says, \u201cI think the verdict is still out. I\u2019m happy with the way things have gone, but I\u2019m waiting to see if other critical voices weigh in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Waiting and working.<\/p>\n

On a sunny April day, Stamer\u2019s back exploring his old haunts north of Durham. He happens upon an abandoned cabin; he saw it 15 years earlier with his twin brother. He grips his camera, eyes the old home, and snaps photos. Stamer spends the rest of the day exploring the farms and forests of his youth. He takes his time. No need to rush.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s enough material here to keep fueling this investigation for a long time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

A day later he\u2019s back in his studio. Tubes of paint cover tabletops. Photos strewn about. Stacks of books. Stacks of canvases.<\/p>\n

Everyone is gone and the hour is getting late. Damian Stamer is done studying yesterday\u2019s photos. It\u2019s time to paint.<\/p>\n

Damian Stamer is an MFA student in the art department<\/a> in the College of Arts and Sciences. His show at Freight + Volume ran from April 12 through May 19, 2012. Stamer studied at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design in Germany on a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship, and after his BFA he received a Fulbright grant to attend the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest.<\/em><\/p>\n

[ Story by Mark Derewicz, Endeavors<\/a> magazine ]<\/p>\n


\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Three o\u2019clock in the morning. It\u2019s quiet and there\u2019s no one around. A dim light emanates from beneath the studio door. Inside, among scattered books and photos, Damian Stamer puts the finishing touches on a painting titled Matinee, in which a remnant of a barn appears through a mysterious portal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3309,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fine-arts-humanities"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3302"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45325,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3302\/revisions\/45325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}