EHREN FRITZ GERHARD

ARTIST STATEMENT/BIO

My imagery depicts an intense encounter with time and place.  It’s the feeling I get while crunching through leaves and branches listening to the air whistle through my nostrils.  I can step on a snake, stumble upon a wild boar or end up with a spider web all over my face. 

Working somewhere in-between scientific observation and romantic idealism, my goal is to create a living image that breathes and moves.  I make large and small scale canvases inspired by the visual energy of artists such as Charles Burchfield and Emily Carr.  Each successive layer of paint is imbued with the joy of discovery, fear for the unknown, and tension between life and death.

My most recent work combines acrylic painting with oil pastel bursting with tropical plants, fruit trees, and edible landscaping.  Over the past seven years, I have been cultivating my yard as a habitat for wildlife, food for my pantry, and imagery for my paintings.  I depict the natural world with an emotional range of colors, textures and mark-making.  By placing emphasis on the expressive qualities of my medium, I hope to guide the viewer into an immersive experience that overwhelms the visual senses.

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Ehren Fritz Gerhard completed his Master of Fine Arts from Arizona State University in 2013 and Bachelor of Arts from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2009.  He has been an Adjunct Professor of Drawing and Printmaking at Florida Gulf Coast University as well as Basic Design and Color Theory at Florida Southwestern State College.  Previous positions include the Director of the Bonita Springs National Art Festival, Gallery Director for the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs and Gallery Director for the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers.  He lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife, daughter, son, and dog where he maintains an active studio, works on his garden and goes on primitive camping and fishing trips as often as possible.