Monarchs burst forth in wax
Aaron Eichorst with one of his visually stimulating pieces.
Fitting for the Homecoming weekend, EMU alum Aaron Eichorst revealed an extensive sampling in his exhibition "Mixed Media Work." The exhibit runs Oct. 9 through Nov. 5 in the Hartzler Library Gallery.
Eichorst's selected pieces, spanning the past seven years, integrate tight graphite drawings, animated acrylic paintings, and less-predictable experiments in wax. Eichorst cited several artists who have greatly influenced his style. In several of his larger pieces, he conveys a collaged style reminiscent of Romare Bearden, and his use of brilliant color and intricate design elements resemble Lari Pittman's layered canvases.
Almost half of his show stems from an earlier assignment to create a thematic body of work. According to Eichorst, the five graphite drawings symbolize compulsion, which he describes as "coming back to bite you." In each drawing and subsequent painting, Eichorst treats compulsion as a Monarch butterfly that internally desires to migrate annually without any prior understanding of its journey's end. At the heart of this desire lies an elusive beauty. For Eichorst, "the Monarch wing symbolizes the beauty that drives compulsion."
From these five original graphite works, Eichorst has created five visually stimulating 11" x 14" pieces. The first in the series, "Chrysalis" positions a light-hued cocoon alone among a dark background. At first the viewer notices only the isolated cocoon stark against the deep canvas, but upon further examination, the painting furnishes the viewer with plenty of eye entertainment. Eichorst repeatedly plays with painted texture, employing intricate brush strokes to engage the viewer's eyes. All five in this series also display Eichorst's incredible manipulation of color. The warm-colored Monarch wings pop out of the pieces, adding to the sense of emergence in his painting "Release," in which a classical male figure tears open his middle to liberate the butterflies inside.
Eichorst exhibits depth in style and subject matter, displaying a handful of more abstract pieces that seem to approach more technical, aesthetic aspects than to grapple with symbolism and imagery. These more abstract works appeal to the eye based on color complements and are artistic accomplishments in their own right.
What distinguishes Eichorst's body of work is his exploration with encausting, a method of adding layers to the canvas using hot wax and resin. Eichorst displays particular skill in amassing wax texture and painted patterns. With each coat he develops a depth of detail. The outer layers of warm acrylic snag the eye, while the wax-embedded details lure viewers to explore each individual fold.
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