A B O U T
Erik was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and London, England. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with degrees in English Literature and Art History. Upon graduation, Erik moved to New York City to work for the Edwynn Houk Gallery, one of the leading photography galleries in the world. There he had the opportunity to work with artists: Annie Leibovitz, Robert Polidori, Sally Mann, and Elliott Erwitt. He was also exposed to vintage prints from 20th Century Masters like Brassaî, Man Ray, and Lee Miller. Since working for the gallery Erik has been represented by Ford Models, Wilhelmina Models, and Next Models in Los Angeles. His client list as a model includes Barney's, Nordstrom, Cadillac, Thom Browne, and Moncler. Erik is a self-taught artist. His work primarily investigates traditional masculine stereotypes/imagery in an abstract way. He currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee and works with individuals struggling with behavioral and substance abuse issues. Erik is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Clinical Mental Health.
A R T I S T S T A T E M E N T
During the course of my addiction treatment I found myself asking the pivotal question, “who am I really?” As a graduate student now in clinical mental health and as someone who works with clients with behavioral and substance abuse issues, I find myself consistently asking that question both of myself and the people I work with. After twenty years of drinking to excess I couldn’t really answer that question authentically for myself. I knew I was an athlete, an artist, and an alcoholic in recovery. I started digging deeper into the things I loved as a boy: the smell of my father’s pipe, the romance of the French Foreign Legion, the deep brown leather hues in a well worn baseball glove. I started painting when I was 16, and I returned to it in an effort to reach a deeper level of understanding/self compassion. In this way, my work is about coming to terms with myself and my boyhood dreams of what it means to be a good man, a noble man, a person of integrity/discipline. Simultaneously, I hope the work expresses a frustration with the simplified, abstract, and self-defeating constructs these masculine archetypes locked me into.
What I saw in the work was a reflection of my wild mind, my courage, and also my shame. I am all those things, and painting helps me record them, visualize them, and reach a greater place of humility. The work acts as a catharsis from my alcoholic ancestral pain. It’s a battle cry. I name the works after distant lands I have become enamored with. For example, “Tunis” reflected my interest in the Tunisian resistance fighters, the Fellagha. I have deep respect for their resilience, their fight, their passion. It was certainly different, but I saw a correlation in my fight for freedom from my addiction. In this way, I am interested in the crossover between psychoanalysis and artistic production. For me, painting functions as an expression of my authentic self. It’s the truest me; sans boundary or limitation. Naked, afraid, bold, and sometimes triumphant.
Below Photographs: Ashtin Page
