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Early American history as both origin myth and
apocalypse forms the backdrop for “HISTROY!”, Eric
Beltz’s first solo show with Acuna-Hansen Gallery.
Envisioning a variety of characters surrounded by
quotes from the founding fathers, books on satanism
and witchcraft, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the
Tibetan Book of the Dead, the Bible, and other text
assembled from Google searches, his
hypnotically-detailed drawings are macabre yet
humorous, containing as much madness as wisdom.
Comprised of two series, “American Visions” and “Back
To Eden”, we see American icons such as George
Washington and Thomas Jefferson in contemplative
visionary trances as well as skull-headed farmers and
headless animals facing death with a mix of
compassion, sorrow, and hate.
Referred to as “High Definition Drawing” by the
self-described hypnobotanist, Eric Beltz’s work
involves equal parts ethnobotany, religion, history,
and finely-rendered detail. The suggestive connections
of unrelated texts forming compositional lines and
swooshes around the various characters are didactic
yet remain enigmatic as pictures. Likewise, the
plants, buildings and landscapes behind the figures
are equally specific in reference (a pile of weeds may
be a medieval herbal remedy for dysentery), but are
offered only as scenery. Although crisp in definition,
Beltz’s drawings offer a translucent world of infinite
depth.
Eric Beltz received his MFA from UC Santa Barbara in
2004. His work has been featured in Flaunt Magazine as
well as numerous group shows in Los Angeles, New York,
and England including “Distinctive Messengers” at the
House of Campari in LA, “Promised Land” at Morgan
Lehman, NY, “The Porch Show” at Cinders Gallery,
Brooklyn, “Harry Smith Anthology Revisited” at
Alt.Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, among
others. Next year his work will be included in the
traveling exhibition “The Old, Weird America” at the
Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, TX.
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