South Lowell 18

North Carolina artist Damian Stamer grew up in Durham County. His large-scale paintings often depict old barns, empty farmland, and abandoned buildings. Stamer says his childhood experiences in these quiet places became the inspiration for his artwork. Today he takes photos of similar scenery and uses the pictures as guides for his paintings.

North Carolina is the subject of every painting I make … For nearly a decade, I have focused on the places and spaces of home, complete with all their glories, faults, and fictions.

Damian Stamer

South Lowell 18 shows the artist’s interest in memory, history, and change. He made this painting look like an old photograph by using textures that resemble water spots, fading, and damage caused by age and weather. Stamer creates this effect by layering paint and then scraping or scratching parts of the surface. By mixing rough textures with realistic images in his art, he encourages viewers to notice how landscapes and communities change over time.

I do everything I can to deteriorate, distort, and integrate abstraction so there is a sort of corrosion to the picture.

Damian Stamer

Stamer has experimented with using artificial intelligence (AI) as part of his artistic process. He connects traditional painting with modern technology by using AI to help him come up with ideas for his art. Then he uses paint, photos, and memories to create the final piece himself.