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Blair Thurman

b. 1961, USA

I Turn Right I Go Left I Go Straight, 2009

Acrylic on wood canvas

180 x 500 cm

Blair Thurman's shaped canvases navigate the crossroads of Pop Art and abstract geometric art, embodying a space that straddles painting and sculpture. Stemming from his enduring fascination with American car culture, Thurman's pieces draw inspiration from his extensive collection of model cars. They fuse cars and racetracks into a unique exploration of American car culture.


I turn right, I turn left, I go straight exemplifies this theme, alluding to various aspects of car culture, including the curves of automobiles, road junctions, and the act of driving itself, all depicted in a monochrome palette. Beyond its title, the artwork captures a dynamic sense of motion, evident in the traced outlines of geometric shapes. Thurman's artistic language seamlessly combines the vibrancy of Pop Art with the geometric precision of abstraction, weaving in the rich tapestry of American automotive history.

Photo: Matthew Placek

Blair Thurman (b. 1961, United States)


Blair Thurman is an American artist known for his post-minimalist paintings, neons and wall works. His practice explores the relationship between cultural reality and imagined fantasies. Thurman utilises abstract and geometric shapes to represent the diverse cultural and symbolic facets of the Americana and its media culture, drawing inspiration from his boyhood fascination with race cars, architectural frameworks, and other personal imagery to create works that recode reality into simplified and vibrant forms.


Thurman received his BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Canada, as well as his MFA from the University of Massachusetts, USA. His works have been exhibited in institutions including Xippas Gallery, Geneva (2023), The Journal Tribeca, USA (2019), and the Gagosian Gallery, Paris (2018).

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