BIOGRAPHY
Kurt Jackson is one of the leading British Artists. Born in 1961, in Blanford, Dorset; the son of two painters, he was encouraged from an early age to both paint and draw. He grew up exploring the hedgerows and streams of his surroundings, often sketching the animals he observed. His father's painting was a constant presence, an abstract studio painter, his father would paint plain air watercolour landscapes for recreation during family holidays – regularly taken on the Cornish coast. Before reaching university age Jackson had travelled extensively throughout the world including the Amazon Rainforest and the Arctic Circle. His parents were active in the peace movement and he was taken on many political demonstrations. By his late teens he had developed his own affiliations to libertarian politics and environmental issues.
At university Jackson initially opted to pursue his interest in natural history, and he graduated from St.Peters College, Oxford with an honours degree in zoology. However he spent most of his time attending classes at Ruskin College or painting in the countryside surrounding Oxford. In 1984 he and his wife Caroline settled in Boscastle and in 1989 they then moved to West Cornwall where they still live with their three children.
Kurt Jackson's work embraces an extensive range of materials and techniques including mixed media, large canvases, and relief work. To quote Jackson:
"In Cornwall my subjects are mostly places I know well, that I visit over and over again - certain areas of coast moorland and valleys. I also work on projects, usually one a year, which are either based on a particular aspect of Cornish culture or on a distinct track of countryside. Capturing a fleeting impression doesn’t interest me. In all my paintings the aim is to convey my feelings and sense of awareness in that particular environment."
Kurt Jackson's paintings are fluent, dynamic and exciting, resulting from a working method that is both challenging and intense. He is undoubtedly most famous for his plein air paintings of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. However his painting continues to take him abroad and further afield.
Kurt Jackson has worked with a number of charities, raising money and awareness about their work, they include: Survival International, Green Peace, Oxfam, VSO, Water Aid, Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
| 1984 | Robinson College, Cambridge |
| 1986-95 | North Cornwall Museum, Camelford |
| 1988 & 90 | New Street Gallery, Plymouth, Devon |
| 1988-91 | Dower House Gallery, Lostwithiel, Cornwall |
| 1989 | Maltings Arts Centre, St. Albans, Herts |
| 1990 & 92 | Visions & Journeys, St Just |
| 1991 | Chapel Gallery, Saltram House, Plymouth New Victoria Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme Hertford Gallery, Hertford |
| 1992 | New Contemporary Gallery, Penzance |
| 1992 & 94 | Avalon Art, Marazion |
| 1992 & 95 | Amalgam Art Ltd, London |
| 1993 | Porthmeor Gallery St Ives Cadogan Contemporary, London |
| 1993 & 94 | White lane Gallery, Plymouth |
| 1994 | Rainy Day Gallery, Penzance |
| 1995-97 | Beside The Wave Gallery Falmouth, Cornwall |
| 1995-97 | Ashbourne Gallery Derbyshire |
| 1995-97 | 'South Crofty' Camborne School of Mines Penzance Geological Museum Plymouth City Art Gallery Doncaster Museum |
| 1996 | Handle House, Devizes Beatrice Royal, Hampshire |
| 1997 | Lynne Strover Gallery, Cambridge Darlington Arts Centre Rheda, Wiedensbruck, Germany |
| 1998 | 'Painting the Path of the Sun', St Just Messum's, London Concarneau, Brittany |
| 1998/99 | 'Carnsew', Falmouth Art Gallery Worcester City Art Gallery Lancashire Mining Museum Cornwall Geological Museum Phoenix Arts Centre, Exeter |
| 1998-2000 | Origin Gallery Dublin |
| 1998, 99 & 2001 | John Davies, Stow-on-the-Wold |
| 1999 | 'Crossing the Peninsular, the Path of Totality', St Just |
| 2000 | Messum's, London Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro M071' the Road to St Just Castlegate Gallery, Cockermouth, Cumbria University of Exeter |
| 2001 | Walker Gallery, Harrogate Tinners Way, St Just |
| 2001 - 02 | 'Delabole Slate Quarry', Indian King Arts Centre, N. C Penzance Geology Museum Falmouth Art Gallery |
| 2002 | Messum's, London RGI Kelly Gallery, Glasgow Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh lemon Street Gallery, Truro Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro 'Delabole Slate Quarry', Slate Valley Museum, New York, USA Helen Day Art Centre, Vermont USA 'Long Field', St Just |
| 2003 | Messum's, London Guardian News Room, London 'St Michael's Way', lemon Street Gallery, Truro |
| 2004 | Messum's, London 'Porth', Newlyn Gallery 'Porth', Worcester Art Gallery 'The Paps of Jura', Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh 'The Paps of Jura', RGI Kelly Gallery, Glasgow Glasgow Art Fair |
| 2004 | lemon Street Gallery London Art Fair, Messum's, London 'Two Woods', Victoria Art Gallery, Bath 'Porth', King's Lynn Arts Centre, Norfolk Artist in Residence, Glastonbury Festival 'The Cornish Estuary', lemon Street Gallery, Truro |
| 2004-5 | Paddington Station, London, installation |
| 2005 | Messum's, London 'Porth', Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter 'The Painted Etchings', Newlyn Art Gallery, Newlyn 'The Painted Etchings', Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh 'Glastonbury Festival', Messum's, London 'Three Woods', St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery, Lymington 'The Cornish Hedge', lemon Street Gallery, Truro 'Porth', Royal Museum & Art Gallery, Canterbury 'Three Woods', Royal Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery, Truro |
| 2006 | Messum's, London ‘Porth’, Catmose Art Gallery, Rutland. ‘Thames – Source to Sea’, South Hill Park, Bracknell, Berks. ‘Neil’s Place’, Lemon Street Gallery at Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh. ‘Ponds, Pools and Puddles’, Lemon Street Gallery, Truro. |
| 2007 | David Messum Gallery, London. River Avon Part 1 at Victoria Art Gallery, Bath. Glastonbury Festival Charity Auction, The Hospital, Covent Garden. ‘The Cornish Crows’, Lemon Street Gallery, Truro. |
| 2008 | 'The Lights of West Cornwall', David Messum Gallery, London. |
SELECTED EVENTS & MIXED EXHIBITIONS
| 1982 | Three-man exhibition with brother and father, Maltings Gallery Wheathampstead, Herts |
| 1983 & 84 | Travelled through Africa painting |
| 1984 | Marriage to Caroline; moved to Boscastle |
| 1985 | Two-Man Show, Dunbeved Gallery, Launceston |
| 1986 | Birth of son, Seth |
| 1988 | Birth of daughter, Zinzi |
| 1989 | Moved to St Just-in-Penwith |
| 1989-90 | Gallery 92, Barnes, London |
| 1990 | Birth of daughter, Chloe |
| 1994 | Rheda, Wiedensbruck, Germany Rye Art Gallery, Rye |
| 1994-97 | Penwith Society of Artists City Gallery Leicester White lane Gallery, Plymouth Beatrice Royal Gallery, Hampshire Rainy Day Gallery, Penzance 'Landscapes of West Penwith', Newlyn Society of Artists & Hastings Museum 'Now & Then', Messum's, London '40 Years of Art in St Just', St Just 'Celtic Festival', Plymouth Arts Centre 'Endangered Spaces, Christies; Richmond Hill Gallery |
| 1994-2005 | Newlyn Society of Artists |
| 1997 & 99 | Cill Riallaig, Ireland, residence |
| 1998 | 'A Place in My Heart', Carlton TV Elected Academician, Royal West of England Academy |
| 1999 | 'The Next Generation, Jeremy Annear and Kurt Jackson', Messum's London Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance Publication of 'Paintings of Cornwall & the Scillies' ISBN 0-95313-701 -5 |
| 1999-2005 | Glastonbury Festival, Artist in Residence |
| 2000 | Walker Gallery, Harrogate |
| 2000-03 | Belgrave Gallery, St Ives |
| 2000-05 | Royal West of England Academy |
| 2000-05 | lemon Street Gallery, Truro, |
| 2002 | Publication of 'The Cape' ISBN 1-85022-172-3 |
| 2003-05 | Falmouth Art Gallery |
| 2004 | 'Elemental Insight', Meteorological Office, Exeter Publication of 'Sketchbooks 2003-2004' ISBN 1-85022-190-1 Elected Chair of Newlyn Society of Artists |
| 2005 | Artist in Residence on Greenpeace ship 'Esranza' live 8 @ Eden Project, Artist in Residence 'Kurt Jackson, A Picture of Cornwall' BBC1 South West 'Kurt Jackson, A Picture of the South West', BBC3 Falmouth Art Gallery. |
| 2006 | Publication of Kurt Jackson – The Thames Project, ISBN 9 550 17572 3 Art Miami, USA with Lemon Street Gallery. London Art Fair with Lemon Street Gallery. Exhibition at Kew Gardens [mixed, charity]. |
| 2007 | London Art Fair with Lemon Street Gallery. ‘The Kenidjack Oils’, Lemon Street Gallery at Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh. Presentation of paintings to Cornwall County Council collection. Awarded Honorary Doctorate for contribution to the arts by Exeter University. ‘Stuff Art’, Falmouth Art Gallery, Cornwall. ‘The New Forest’, St Barbe Gallery, Lymington, Hants. ‘Lineage’, Newlyn Art Gallery, Cornwall. Residency in Treliske Hospital operating theatre, Truro. |