PRESS RELEASE
Eric Cruikshank: An Echo
Mar 30 – Jun 15, 2024
Holly Johnson Gallery is pleased to present Eric Cruikshank’s exhibition, An Echo, representing a selection of recent works on paper. An opening reception will be held Saturday, March 30th, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. This is the artist’s third solo exhibition with the gallery, and it will continue through June 15, 2024.
Taking landscape as an initial starting point, Eric Cruikshank’s focus is on the emotive qualities of place. In the absence of imagery or narrative, the works are left open to interpretation, as an almost blank plane to reflect one’s own emotions and ideas. Using an objective palette tied to the Scottish landscape, color acts as a vehicle to reveal the picture planes underlying points of reference; with the works being grounded in the everyday, the viewer is encouraged to readdress notions of their surroundings, where the familiar is made full of possibility.
This group of monochromatic and color gradient works on paper include oil, mixed media, pastel, and colored pencil. The works are completed with a meticulous level of control with color and impression of light being two major topics. Fields of color come under close scrutiny - with their refined shades and contours - and lead the eye around each piece, gently engaging the viewer in the act of looking.
Eric Cruikshank was born in Inverness, Scotland (1975). He received a BA (Hons) in Painting and Drawing from the Edinburgh College (1997). His art has been included in numerous exhibitions throughout the UK, Europe, America, and Japan, and he has been the recipient of several awards such as; Oppenheim-John Downes Memorial Trust Award (2016), Edinburgh Council Visual Artist Award (2014), Hope Scott Trust - joint award with Michael Craik (2013), and Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (2009), among others. He has also participated in several residencies: the Mustarinda Residency, Finland (2012) and the Santa Fe Art Institute Residency (2010). He currently lives and works in Dundee, Scotland.
Holly Johnson Gallery is located at 1845 E. Levee St. #100 in Dallas, TX 75207. Gallery hours are 11 to 5, Tuesday through Saturday. The gallery is a founding member of CADD - Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas. For more information email info@hollyjohnsongallery.com or visit www.hollyjohnsongallery.com.
Image: Eric Cruikshank, CP-09, 2022, Oil on paper, 9 ¾ x 7 ¼ inches