Phil Durgan

Phil Durgan was a visual artist and playwright born in San Diego, California and based for the last six years of his life in Buffalo, N.Y. Among the plays he wrote were Pound for Pound and Jimmy Champagne, staged readings of which were performed by the Road Less Traveled Theatre in Buffalo. He later turned his attention to painting; self-taught, he often spoke of the influence of Jean Dubuffet, Cy Twombly, and Jean-Michel Basquiat on his work. His paintings were shown at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Grant Street Gallery, and Sp@ce 224, among others. In an artist’s statement, he elaborated on other forces shaping his aesthetic: “I am always amazed by the little things in life and equally impressed by the daring. My paintings seem to always encounter the ideas of: Bebop jazz. Cigarette smoke. Road maps. Women. Beat literature. Mid-century colors. Hymnals. Sumatra. The Gospels. Raconteurs. Drag queens. College radio. Women. Street musicians. Nag Champa. Fireflies…and my children.” [1]

[1] Phil Durgan, “Artist Statement,” Queen City Prints, http://qcp.livewebdev.com/artists/phil-durgan/. (Accessed 5/1/2014)

For additional information on Phil Durgan, visit these interviews, appreciations, and obituaries:
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/obituaries/philip-r-durgan-artist-playwright-and-chef-20140430
http://buffalorising.com/2014/04/phil-durgan-you-will-be-missed/#respond
http://buffalorising.com/2013/11/art-buff-phil-durgan/
http://www.elabuffalo.com/1/post/2011/03/phil-durgan-artist-interview.html
http://saramzak.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-painting-kindred-spirit-phil-durgan.html