For many artists, the process of making a piece is composed of calculations and meticulous planning. However, for Gallery Route One (GRO) artist Steven Hurwitz, the studio is a playground, and his art is simply an “agreement” between materials and direction instead of a carefully planned out piece.
A member of the GRO community since 2017, Hurwitz has spent almost eight years showcasing art that prioritizes “play” and “messing around” to spectators. His latest exhibition, “Easy Pieces,” is showcased in GRO’s smaller “Annex” space, and serves as further proof of his unique creative process.
Because GRO, located in Point Reyes, chose to feature this collection in the Annex, Hurwitz’s pieces in this exhibition echo the smaller scale of the location. The smaller space also provides the perfect stage for what he calls “color chips.” These small, brightly colored wood fragments were originally test pieces from previous projects. Still, he saw potential in these “leftovers,” and decided to feature them in this exhibition.
At the center of Hurwitz’s art is collaboration. However, this collaboration is not between him and other artists; instead, it is centered around the partnership between the materials he uses and the path he finds himself on.
“The part of the creative process that interests me the most is play,” Hurwitz explains. “I think creativity starts with what I call just messing around. It is just playing with ideas, playing with visual expression without any specifics. It’s really an agreement in some sense between the materials you’re using and the direction you find yourself going.”
The “agreement” between material and direction requires a tolerance for uncertainty and a stomach for imperfection. He admits his struggle as he walks the line between the thrill of a new idea and the frustration of feeling lost without a direction. That said, he welcomes the lack of control that comes with the process, even celebrating the errors that may come up along the way.
“I’m not a perfectionist, even though I’m a minimalist,” he says. “I think the mistakes are some of the best things that can happen. I enjoy the imperfections; I think that’s what makes my art beautiful.”
Hurwitz’s journey to the studio was not a linear one. Once a practicing lawyer in San Francisco for several years, he eventually decided to follow his passion for art through classes at the San Francisco Art Institute. This creativity later extended into the world of fashion, where he started a clothing company. He saw these paths as a “natural extension of [his] creative impulses.”
Today, his work consists primarily of polychrome wood assemblies.
While his pieces occasionally feature references to recognizable figures, such as the tower-like “To be Continued” that continues off the frame or a construction suggesting a pot of flowers and branches, Hurwitz aims to avoid these references to give spectators a “what you see is what you get” experience of his art.
“I want people to see something that is real, that nothing gets in the way of. The pure painted pieces,” he says. His abstract and minimalist pieces allow the viewer to engage with the art without any baggage surrounding the experience.
In “Easy Pieces,” Hurwitz invites the audience into his world of “messing around,” showing them the beauty of “play.” It is a show that honors the essential nature of creativity—a trait he believes is fundamental to all living things. By assembling puzzles of wood and paint, Hurwitz shows viewers that art doesn’t always need a map; sometimes, the best way to find a direction is simply to start playing.
Artist Steven Hurwitz’s work is on exhibit through Jan. 18 at Gallery Route One, 11101 CA-1, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.1347. galleryrouteone.org.
