621 Gallery Presents
It Really Is Dreamy, Isn’t It by Ehren Fritz Gerhard and Michelle Eccles
a joint exhibition of paintings in the 621 Gallery
Opening Reception Friday November 3, 6 – 9 pm
Soft Opening November 2, 6:30 pm
Artist Statement: “I paint figures that inhabit enigmatic spaces that are the product of intermingling
cultures and hyperreality. My characters include friends and loved ones, but more
notably, the intriguing and complicated personalities I met during the nine years I lived in
Japan. I project my feelings of envy and admiration on these characters and live
vicariously through them.
My paintings include a complex combination of social media images, pop culture
references, Japanese aesthetics, and Western painting. My canvases become liminal
spaces that allow me the opportunity to further explore and critique my experiences here
and abroad while enabling the renegotiation of my fluctuating identity. My work reflects
what it is to be a citizen of the world: the condition of residing in a place that
simultaneously is and is not one’s home.”
cultures and hyperreality. My characters include friends and loved ones, but more
notably, the intriguing and complicated personalities I met during the nine years I lived in
Japan. I project my feelings of envy and admiration on these characters and live
vicariously through them.
My paintings include a complex combination of social media images, pop culture
references, Japanese aesthetics, and Western painting. My canvases become liminal
spaces that allow me the opportunity to further explore and critique my experiences here
and abroad while enabling the renegotiation of my fluctuating identity. My work reflects
what it is to be a citizen of the world: the condition of residing in a place that
simultaneously is and is not one’s home.”
Bio: Michelle Eccles is a Tallahassee native whose interests in travel and culture have led her
to various corners of the world. Most recently she lived and worked in Japan prior to
receiving her Masters of Fine Arts at Florida State University. She teaches painting and
drawing courses for the FSU Department of Art and is the recipient of the Florence
Teaching Fellowship. She currently lives in Havana, Florida with her big sweet dog, but
will relocate to Italy in the spring where she will teach at the Florida State University
International Programs campus in Florence.
to various corners of the world. Most recently she lived and worked in Japan prior to
receiving her Masters of Fine Arts at Florida State University. She teaches painting and
drawing courses for the FSU Department of Art and is the recipient of the Florence
Teaching Fellowship. She currently lives in Havana, Florida with her big sweet dog, but
will relocate to Italy in the spring where she will teach at the Florida State University
International Programs campus in Florence.