FERRARA SHOWMAN GALLERY is pleased to announce the third gallery solo exhibition of New Orleans-based artist Carlton Scott Sturgill entitled Current Local Time. This new body of work marks a significant shift in the artist’s studio practice, as the show is comprised of twelve paintings. A departure from the artist’s primarily mixed media works of up-cycled fabric, floral installations and mosaiced paint chip depictions of intimate moments, these new paintings are an extension of his studio practice both in form and purpose. Sturgill’s painting technique reflects the visual characteristics of his mosaic works, while the meaning retains the artists interest in drawing from the viewers own personal experience and, in turn, interpretation.

In addition to this deviation in medium, Sturgill further sets this new series apart through his chosen subject matter. Art historical references are blurred and appear in varying levels of abstraction as one is drawn closer to each painting. Just like the clarity of human memory and perspective, the image comes in and out of view and the identity of each referenced masterpiece mystified by titling. Each painting denotes just enough representational imagery for the viewer to enter into the work, emitting an understanding, response, and ideation all their own. Current Local Time will be on view from 12 February through 5 April 2025 with an artist reception on 5 April 5-9pm (the final day of the exhibition) in conjunction with the Arts District New Orleans’ monthly First Saturday Gallery Openings.

Sturgill says of this new suite of paintings…

As an artist, I am captivated by the concept of renewal. My practice revolves around the transformation of familiar materials and imagery into art that explores the intersection of our personal histories with deep-rooted cultural narratives passed down to us from previous generations.

My latest series of paintings began with a fundamental belief: meaning is fluid and ever-evolving. It shifts from person to person, moment to moment, and even throughout a single individual’s life. We each view the world through a unique lens, sculpted by the interplay of our experiences, identities, and cultural contexts. When I embark on creating a new piece, I see it as an act of interpreting the world through my personal filter, aiming to offer a perspective that engages with what came before, but that is distinctly my own.

In turn, I hope to leave space for viewers to interpret my work through their own lenses. Each piece invites the observer to examine how their own memories, emotions, and cultural touchpoints affect their understanding of the work. To me, the beauty of art lies in its multiplicity of meanings. No single interpretation of my work holds greater weight than another—not even my own. Instead, each interaction becomes a mirror, reflecting the individual lives and stories of those who encounter it.

Carlton Scott Sturgill was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati (B.A. Hons 2002) and Chelsea College of Art and Design (M.A. Fine Art 2005) in London, United Kingdom. His multidisciplinary body of work includes painting, sculpture, collage, and installation and incorporates a wide variety of materials, with a particular emphasis on repurposed everyday objects. His site-specific floral installations created using second-hand button-down shirts have been displayed in settings as diverse as the Drifter Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, Pegasus Bank in Dallas, Texas, and as part of the New York City Arterventions public art program, through which he was awarded a grant to create works to be displayed along the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn.

His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums both nationally and internationally, including the Cornell Museum of Art in Delray Beach, Florida, Temple Bar Gallery in Dublin, Ireland, the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, and the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art in New York City. Most recently his work was included in the Young Masters: For the Love of Art History exhibition at the Exhibitionist Hotel in London, which was organized by Cynthia Corbett Gallery. After living in Ohio, London, and Brooklyn, Carlton relocated to New Orleans in 2015, where he lives with his wife, Nicole.

For more information, press or sales inquiries please contact partner and gallery director Matthew Weldon Showman at 504.343.6827 or matthew@ferrarashowman.com. Please join the conversation with FSG on Facebook (@FerraraShowmanGallery), Twitter (@FerraraShowman), and Instagram (@FerraraShowmanGallery) via the hashtags: #CarltonScottSturgill, #FerraraShowmanGallery, and #ArtsDistrictNewOrleans.