Do you know Erik Bender?
If you're not a bay area local, maybe not,
but this year, this emerging artist is getting more noticed with his small and large scale figurative paintings done in acrylic. This year, Berkeley resident Erik has been extending himself through his art by being named "Artist of the Day" by redd.it and having a handful of shows this year.
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The most recent showcasing of his work, Orchestra of Time,
was featured as part of a group show at the Klein Gallery, nestled in a town Lafayette, in the east bay. Walking in, you come face to face with his life size portraits. Heading to the back of the gallery, you are presented with his largest painting on the interior wall, including the before and after of a stick-and-poke tattoo directly on the massive smashed face portrait.
"My main influence is art and artists that came before me. I am influenced mostly by people and interactions with people, I think that's why I paint people. I like the nuances that go between [their] interactions. It's hard to explain...I feel I want to use my art to be able to be a voice for people who don't have it".
Erik explained for his work in this particular show, he was exploring the idea of gender; masculinity and femininity, not as a dichotomy but rather separate ideas and not seen as one versus the other.
His palette choice combined with size, you are able to see the vast range of colors he uses to create a striped tee, cross eyed-faced, and palm of a hand. His style, a mix of still life and figurative painting, is a look into what is considered a more classical form of painting in it's contemporary time.
"I see [art] as a mechanism to translate the world around me, my life around me. That's why I like to paint people, figures, and portraits."
Erik, is in school for art, says he does well with school, says he likes the idea of a structure to grow inside of, even though it's not usually typical because like some other artists, he believes art is a creative endeavor that someone doesn't need constraints to thrive in, but technique. The dynamic of school gives him more people to work and create.
He hopes to get his MFA and continues to live in urban environments where there's a lot of action, like New York or San Francisco. His goal is to make work as frequently as he can and to continue the extension of himself and his art.
What stands out most about Erik and his work is his passion for drawing and painting and how his feelings about his work are successfully translated in his paintings. He works with topics that sometimes purposely leave room for being vague. Standing in front of one of these large scale paintings, you too find your mind wandering as you look at the different colors and strokes used and forgot you were even looking at a black tee shirt. When I look at them, there is a meaningful quietness to be found and the concept of beauty in art is not dead, what do you see?
To see more, go check out more of Erik's sketches, thoughts, and paintings at erikbenderart.blogspot.com!
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weLOVEart
ToTheMoonAndBack
xoxo
Daniella
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