Erica Hauser, "1920s Ford," 2007.

GO NORTH is very pleased to present “Paint Job,” an exhibition of recent paintings and drawings by Erica Hauser. This is Hauser’s first solo show with the gallery, and runs from January 5 to 27, 2008. A reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, January 5, from 6 to 9 pm.

Erica Hauser’s work is indelibly linked to travel in its various forms. Driving around upstate New York, wandering through woods and along sidewalks, unearthing old photographs or digging in antique shops is how Hauser finds inspiration for her paintings and drawings of old trucks, cars, and handmade signs. The beauty and subtle humor she finds in these abandoned objects translate into an appealing sense of familiarity for both herself and the viewer. Hauser explains that painting allows her to transport others back to a particular place in time, whether to imagine a story, appreciate the details, or slip into nostalgic reverie.

Time spent observing and painting helps Hauser to prolong her experience of these objects and places. A glimpse of peeling paint or automotive rust might be enough to pull her off the road for a closer look. Hauser states: “I am interested in the effects of weather, light, love or neglect upon surfaces, and in the textures of rust, wood, and gleaming chrome.” Hauser’s precise handling of paint faithfully represents these textures and effects of light without overstating the subjects’ nostalgic associations. Her antiquarian imagery registers as consistently cool, tempered as it is by her documentarian’s sense of objectivity, and graciously allows the viewer to time-travel and fill in the backstory.

Hauser holds a B.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, and has studied at the Art Students League and Cornell University. She has shown her work at the Edward Hopper House in Nyack, Washington Sq. East Gallery in NYC, and the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, NY.

Gallery hours: 12 - 6 PM Saturday & Sunday, and by appointment.

GO NORTH: A Space for Contemporary Art
469 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508
845.242.1951
gonorthgallery@hotmail.com