Eric Nash: "Night Drawings"

The work of Eric Nash captures the essence of daily encounters within Los Angeles, and what the city metaphorically represents. From the 10 Freeway to Hollywood Blvd, to Musicland Hotel, and Los Altos Apts., Nash reimagines the quintessential and quirky landmarks of LA as cinematic sets from an internal film noir. When rendered in the dramatic monochrome of black and white of evening hours, the meticulous charcoal scenes exude a dreamlike quality of seductive angst. Charcoal in its purest form is a specific choice. While a laborious material to work with, it lends a sense of hyper-realism in its dense tonal range that parallels photographic stills.

Thoughts of Los Angeles conjure visions of neon signage, advertisements, and street signs, that both entice and beguile. Within these moody oeuvres, Nash imbues each setting with mystery and suspense indicative of California and the Wild West. The current exhibition, Night Drawings, is a nod to the essence of LA effortlessly illuminated in monochromaticlly glowing night-time hues  Every frozen moment within these quiet compositions captures frozen moments and stories inspired by photographs the artist has taken himself.