Ryan Eckert: This is Romance by Bruno David Gallery

RYA N E CKERT This is Romance

bruno david gallery

Ryan Eckert This is Romance

January 10 - February 22, 2020 Bruno David Gallery 7513 Forsyth Boulevard Saint Louis, Missouri 63105, U.S.A. info@brunodavidgallery.com www.brunodavidgallery.com Founder/Director: Bruno L. David This catalogue was published in conjunction with the exhibition “Ryan Eckert: This is Romance” at Bruno David Gallery. Editor: Bruno L. David Catalogue Designer: Lily Hollinden Nina Huang Designer Assistant: Claudia R. David Printed in USA All works courtesy of Ryan Eckert and Bruno David Gallery Photographs by Bruno David Gallery Cover image: Heatwave (detail), 2019 oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 x 45.7 cm) First Edition Copyright ©2020 Ryan Eckert and Bruno David Gallery All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of Bruno David Gallery

CONTENTS THIS IS ROMANCE BY MEGAN ECKERT AFTERWORD BY BRUNO L. DAVID CHECKLIST AND IMAGES OF THE EXHIBITION BIOGRAPHY

THIS IS ROMANCE by Megan Eckert Ryan Eckert’s exhibition This is Romance is his first show with Bruno David Gallery. The collection of 18 works on paper represents a body of work that is both thoughtful and spontaneous, both peaceful and chaotic. The combination of oil, spray paint, and collage elements come together to form dynamic pieces that are full of life. Raw textures, bold patterns, and bright colors welcome the viewer in for a closer look. Perhaps the most obvious recurring theme in Eckert’s paintings is that of flowers, both literal and abstracted, which represent the fragile beauty of all that life has to offer. The flowers are often positioned in vases, conveying a sense of growth and development, both in life and in spirit. In many of the pieces, the flowers perch gracefully in front of windows, instilling a deep sense of longing. The sun or the moon is frequently seen outside these windows, reminding us of the beautiful idea that something besides the Earth is always present, always watching, always overseeing. Eckert is particularly drawn to groupings of 3 – not only for balance and visual interest but also for representation of the crucifixion. The periodic motif of targets found in many of the paintings illustrates an ancient Greek archery term hamartia, which means “to miss the mark.” While the term literally translates to an arrow missing the bulls-eye, it also refers to a person aiming for perfection but ultimately falling short. The works are extremely accessible to viewers because they are unmistakably still life paintings of flowers, while, at the same time, the way they are crafted conveys a deeper meaning. Often, viewers may be detached from still life paintings because the object is just an object, but in Eckert’s paintings, the objects take on another form beyond what they appear to be. The figurative quality gives a real sense of the soul of the artist that has been lovingly poured into each and every piece. Overall, in this body of work, Eckert wanted to create paintings that had a sense of mystery, even for him. Rather than trying to control each individual aspect of the piece and claiming that every stroke had a lofty meaning, he wanted to let it evolve on its own. Eckert mused, “If you try to control the paintings too much, they can look overworked and do the opposite of what you want them to do. You need to let them be what they want to be.” The relationship between a painter and their creation is a delicate balance.

Eckert’s process in the formation of these pieces was very linear. He first started with the basic idea of a message that he wanted to convey with each painting and arbitrarily chose a color palate to match. He often worked with complimentary colors to keep balance within the pieces and to keep the viewer’s eye moving, but let the colors adapt organically and allowed them to breathe and have a life of their own. Compared to previous bodies of work, Eckert chose a highly saturated palate to convey a sense of beauty, desire, and drama. Eckert started each piece with spray paint on paper, composed outdoors in the painstaking heat of the Arizona summer. The combination of these mediums allowed the paintings to evolve unpredictably, as compared to a hand meticulously controlling each brush stroke. This effect left much to chance, and even when he tried to recreate a particular look in a new piece, each one turned out differently. The beauty of working with spray paint for the first time was the imperfect outcome, which fit into Eckert’s narrative of an imperfect soul searching for salvation. Once the base was complete, he laid out assorted pieces of fabric, canvas, and other collage elements to determine the various shapes and patterns that he wanted to incorporate. Only after he decided the final arrangement and sealed the collage into place would he begin to layer with oil paint. He painted until the piece grew self-sufficient and no longer needed his help. Eckert is currently working on pieces for his thesis exhibition at Arizona State University, where he is an MFA candidate. In addition to abstract still life paintings that are a continuation of this body of work, Eckert is working on found object sculptures that take the aesthetic of his paintings and bring them to life in a three-dimensional form. Some contemporary artists that have inspired Eckert are Tal R, Matthew Wong, Francisco Mendes Moreria, David Hockney, William Hawkins, Eddie Arning, and Austin Eddy.

Megan Eckert is a writer. She received her Bachelor’s degree in English and Professional Writing from Eastern Illinois University. This text is one in a series of the gallery’s exhibitions written by fellow gallery artists and friends.

AFTERWORD BY BRUNO L. DAVID

I am pleased to present This is Romance, an exhibition by Ryan Eckert. This is Eckert’s first exhibition with the gallery. Ryan Eckert’s paintings explore the relationship between self and his surroundings. Flowers are reoccurring motifs in his work that become figurative with a sense of longing and searching. His paintings display a range of physical beauty that Ryan compares to the impulsive beauty of life’s temptations as well as its overwhelming joys. Each painting is on an individual journey that spans different stages of life, from birth to death and finally ascension. Ryan Eckert’s work is a journal where every page is left open, describing a personal life of faith and spirit, which, though tainted by his own inner desires and ambitions, culminates in a warm, peaceful acceptance of salvation. Imagination and intuition are at the forefront of Ryan’s paintings. Imagery is not planned through preliminary sketches or concrete ideas; rather, each work begins simply with the foundation of a basic color palette, though that rarely carries through to the finished piece. Ryan Eckert’s use of vibrant colors, patterns, and electric brushwork leave a visual history within the piece. The paintings evolve moment-by-moment and are ultimately a reactive process that leaves the result to chance. Each unexpected, accidental, and uncontrollable imperfection of the painting is fully exposed. The paint feels visceral. Although the process leaves tangible traces, the genesis of many nuances remains both mysterious and ambiguous. Ryan Eckert was born in 1993 in Belleville, Illinois. He received his BFA from Eastern Illinois University, his MA from Eastern Illinois University, and his MFA at Arizona State University, where he also teaches Support for the creation of significant new works of art has been the core to the mission and program of the Bruno David Gallery since its founding in 2005. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Megan Eckert for her thoughtful essay. I am deeply grateful to Lily Holliden and Nina Huang , who gave much time, talent, and expertise to the production of this catalogue. Invaluable gallery staff support for the exhibition was provided by Taylor Fulton, Sara Ghazi Asadollahi, Lily Hollinden, Eliza Reinhardt, and Zoe Duncan.

CHECKLIST & IMAGES OF THE EXHIBITION

Come Wind 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

A Last Reach 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage. and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

A Winding Way 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm) 14

Decay of a Fruit 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm) 15

Delicately Stacking 2019 Acrylic, oil, and oil Stick on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Same Logic, Same Outcome 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Legion 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Genesis 2019 Acrylic, oil, and oil stick on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Into Fire 2018 Acrylic, oil, and oil stick on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Redo 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

This is the Last One 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

The Downward Spiral 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Head Above Water 2019 Oil, spray paint, and canvas on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Confess 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

One in the Same 2019 Oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches

Sway 2019 Oil, spray paint, canvas and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

In the Pew 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Sunrise 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Submerge 2019 Oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Lit Me Up 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Warden 2019 Oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

A Bud Blooms Daily, Bouquet Full of Choices 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Boiling 2019 Oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Unexpected Arrival 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

A Glimpse at the X-Ray 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Golgotha 2019 Oil, spray paint, and digital print on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Fatigue 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

The Return 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Rinse 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Planting Vineyards Where Vineyards Shouldn’t Grow 2019 Acrylic, oil, and oil sticks on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Tangled 2019 Oil, spray paint, rope, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Where Have You Been 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

A Comforting Thought 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

A Lasting Deviation 2019 Oil, spray paint, fabric, and canvas on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Like Father Like... 2019 Oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Hamartia 2019 Oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Peter 2019 Oil, spray paint,and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

The Exit 2019 Oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Between the Sky and Doubt 2019 Oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Outside Weight on Interal Book 2019 Oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Shooing a Swarm 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Can Never Reach You 2019 Oil, spray paint, collage, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Anniversary 2019 Oil, spray paint, fabric, digital print, and charcoal on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Watering Can During Blood Moon 2019 Oil, spray paint on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

Heat Wave 2019 Oil, spray paint, and fabric on paper 24 x 18 inches (61 × 45.7 cm)

RYAN ECKERT EDUCATION 2020 2017 2015 2011-13

M.F.A., Arizona State University, Expected Graduation May 2020 M.A., Eastern Illinois University, Illinois B.F.A., Eastern Illinois University, Illinois Southwestern Illinois College

SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015

Bruno David Gallery, This is Romance, Solo Exhibition, St. Louis, MO. (catalogue) Shemer Art Center, Rising in Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ Arizona State University, Harry Wood Gallery, Galbut Prize Juried Exhibition, Tempe, AZ Fine Art Complex 1101, Expulsion, Group Exhibition. Tempe, AZ Scottsdale Fashion, ASU Fashion & Painting Collaboration, Scottsdale, AZ Phoenix Art Museum, Party at the Garden: MFA Group Exhibition, Phoenix, AZ Lionel Rombach Gallery, Hot Plate: UA and ASU Painting Exhibition, Tucson, AZ Arizona State University, Graduate College Exhibition, AZ New City Gallery, Echoes: Group Exhibition, Phoenix, AZ Arizona State University, Harry Wood Gallery, Summer MFA Exhibition, Tempe, AZ Ice House Gallery, Ryan Eckert, Solo Exhibition, Phoenix, AZ. Contemporary Art Gallery, All Florals Exhibition, Online exhibition Mas Arte Galeria, Bridged, Quito, Ecuador Arizona State University-Harry Wood Gallery, First Year MFA Exhibition, Tempe, AZ Eastern Illinois University-Tarble Arts Center, Master of Art Exhibition, Charleston, Illinois Burl Ives Studio Gallery, Augment (Solo Exhibition), Charleston, Illinois Eastern Illinois University-Tarble Arts Center, Student Art Show, Charleston, Illinois

2014 2013 2012

Eastern Illinois University-Mary J. Booth Library, A Tribute to the 1960’s Art Show, Charleston, Illinois Eastern Illinois University, Figure it Out III, Charleston, Illinois Eastern Illinois University, Figure it Out II, Charleston, Illinois Eastern Illinois University, Figure It Out, Charleston, Illinois Eastern Illinois University, Student Art Show, Charleston, Illinois

AWARDS The School of Art Special Talent Award, Arizona State University, Award Teaching Assistantship, 2018 Ruth Boyd Cook Scholarship, Eastern Illinois University Art Department, Award for Excellence in Painting, 2015

BIBLIOGRAPHY Marks, Kerry. “Ryan Eckert”, HEC-TV, January 24, 2020 -------------- “Ryan Eckert: Interview”, Blue Room Magazine: Volume 2, Spring 2015, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois -------------- “Ryan Eckert”, Blue Room Magazine: Volume 1, Spring 2014, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois

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ARTISTS Sara Ghazi Asadollahi Laura Beard Heather Bennett Lisa K. Blatt Michael Byron Bunny Burson Judy Child Carmon Colangelo Alex Couwenberg Terry James Conrad Jill Downen Ryan Eckhert Damon Freed

Yvette Drury Dubinsky Douglass Freed Richard Hull Kelley Johnson Chris Kahler Leslie Laskey Justin Henry Miller James Austin Murray Arny Nadler Yvonne Osei Patricia Olynyk Gary Passanise

Charles P. Reay Daniel Raedeke Tom Reed Frank Schwaiger Charles Schwall Christina Shmigel Thomas Sleet Buzz Spector Mark Travers Monika Wulfers