"Lei·sure." Eric Zener. James Rieck

Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, Oregon) is an American photorealist artist best known for figure paintings of lone subjects, often in or about swimming pools. Zener is a self-taught artist. His paintings, mostly in oil, are in a photorealist or "super-realist" style Zener describes as "Contemporary Renaissance". In 2003, while living in the Costa Brava region of Spain, Zener became interested in watching bathers, and began a series of paintings of water, and of people interacting with water. Many paintings from this period depict women swimming underwater amidst air bubbles, or diving into the water, and have been described as reminiscent of Hudson River School and Barbizon School painters.

Eric Zener is also known for his mixed media works that, once again, showcase water imagery. The mixed media pieces are created using multi-dimensional layers of: photo transfer, resin, paint and silver or gold leaf resulting in vivid surfaces of luminous depth. Here the artist explores the same subject matter creating a fresh perspective through use of the contemporary artistic medium. Zener’s paintings and mixed media pieces challenge viewers to reflect on the freedom that this natural element, water, produces shown through the fluidity and movement found within his work.

James Rieck ‘s brilliant oil paintings capture the essence of vintage ephemera in a hyper stylized fashion. The cropped framing of the paintings create singular reflective moments in time focusing on figures found in moments of relaxation and contemplation.  In Rieck’s newest series titled “Simulated Reception” the artist explores one of the most common forms of leisure, the television.   James Rieck describes his current work: “The Title of show comes from a term used when a photograph is taken of a television and the image on the set is replaced with a one that gives the impression of better reception. It’s difficult to photograph a TV, and this technic is usually used in advertising. It’s a simple trick but its one that creates an important perception. We believe what we see especially if it comes in clearly. This is a metaphor that extends to the way we live our lives today with an overload of technology and social media. We are all audience now, sitting in our room watching the world on our screens. And it’s so easy to replace our image on the display with one that puts us into a better light for better reception.”

James Rieck earned both his MFA and his BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and the Glasgow School of Art, Scotland.  He currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. 

These artists will inspire, provoke, engage and mesmerize. With visual perceptions always changing, peek behind the stories told and you're sure to find the right artistic expression!