SPECIAL ART SECTION | Erik Pflueger

Erik Pflueger has always been artistic; “It may very well go back to the crib,” he recalls. He notes that it was vital for him to start expressing his artistic side at a young age, even if that is not the path for all artists.

Pflueger started a graphic design firm straight out of college called Cygnus Arts; a firm which does architectural renderings, graphic design, and fine art. His deep and detailed artwork did not come about overnight, however, “It takes a lifetime to get there to begin with.”

Pflueger lives with autism and has personally had cannabis impact him in a positive way. He does not derive inspiration from cannabis in his art but he does recognize that the style of his art can be easily admired by the cannabis community.

In his work he brings real-life elements into non-reality. By using real-life effects, Pflueger notes that, “One little nod to reality helps sell the non-reality.”

We also talked about how an artist’s personality is in some way represented in their artwork, and Pflueger is no exception to that idea. He is an intelligent man and the priority he places on details are reflected in pieces such as “Relativity,” one of his favorite pieces that depicts a cosmic scape surrounded by a futuristic frame.

“It’s not always the message but capturing attention,” Pflueger understands that people today have short attention spans, and, if a painting cannot capture its viewer’s attention quickly, one may bypass the work altogether. He uses visually striking images and strong colors to draw the viewer in and then keep them there with profound imagery and stunning detail.

James Joyce’s concept of aesthetic arrest is what Pflueger aims to emulate in his work. “It’s supposed to neither make you want the object represented or not want it, it’s just meant to hold you in place and be fascinated by it.”

Most of Pflueger’s works are about the size of a record album, but for his latest piece, he is working on a roughly four-foot-tall canvas. The painting is called “The Force” and will depict the interconnected relationship between the living force and the cosmic force. He chose to do such a large piece to challenge himself, dipping his toe in the water to see if he can translate his work from a smaller surface to one that is almost four times its usual size.

When asked if there was anything he wished to pass on to our readers, Pflueger shared two quotes that have had a great impact on him. The first is a quote from Joseph Campbell who said, “Follow your bliss.” The second was imparted to him from actor/comedian Kevin Smith who shared the philosophy of asking yourself why not, instead of asking yourself why. These quotes showed Pflueger that he should love the work he does and do the work he loves, and he hopes everyone does the same.