Bio

Erik Moon is an interdisciplinary artist from Davenport, Iowa; currently finishing his bachelor’s in fine arts in Printmaking at the University of Iowa. He is an older undergraduate at thirty-three years old. Beforehand, Erik was a dental hygienist and long-term substitute art teacher. He has been making commissioned portraits for over ten years. He received the Donna Friedman Curry Spotlight Grant and showed work at the Stanley Art Museum in Iowa City, Iowa. Erik is quite taken by the processes and community in printmaking. He plans to finish his B.F.A. thesis this fall, while exploring the future possibilities of graduate schools.

Artist Statement

I create with the intent to explore and honor my own emotions, which, for the longest time were shelved as hindrances. In utilizing sharp value scales and expressive palettes, I combat against contradictions and confusions. My work bridges conflicts—like my involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations and inner queerness. Moreover, my work explores the overlapping, intense emotions of individuals. As a self-proclaimed emotional person, I have been overwhelmed and confused by my existence. However, I find hope in the idea that chaos can be untangled. Emotions can fit in more than one category—like “joy,” “sadness,” and “curiosity.” And throughout my life, moments of clarity and the electric passions of others propel me to continue. I am drawn to narratives that go in similarly unexpected directions. I find visual juxtapositions bring insight into our surrounding chaos. Additionally, I utilize a variety of markmaking to convey movement, tension, and interruption. Spontaneity and premeditation, which feel like opposites, can exist simultaneously in lively compositions.