About the Artist
I paint because I have this uncontrollable need to share my story with the people around me …
What makes me so damn important? Nothing! What IS important is the environment and time in which I live and the necessity to historically show this. I paint a symbolic portrait of themes dealing with preservation, spirituality, our social condition, morality and loss of civility in a consumer driven age. I choose imagery that sparks the imagination: dilapidated theaters, the old farmer, soon to be developed landscapes, that fishing trip ten years ago with your grandpa. These themes through their simplicity evoke something that the viewer can come to their own conclusions of where they themselves stand, and what memories from the past hold true today. Through the use of sometimes unnatural perspectives, vibrant colors, and this historically familiar imagery I create a rhythm which evolves from the contrast between nature and the modern industrial environment around us. Progress versus Preservation; Nature versus Man. My compositions start on paper, stay simple, but change often on canvas or birch panels. Paint is applied layer upon layer and is sanded, scraped, and repainted. The history as to where the painting started and where it has progressed from is vital.
Biography
Ed Trask has been active in the Richmond art community for years since graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1992. He has traveled the world as a musician. He has also painted over 30 murals in the city and has shown paintings at Eric Schindler Gallery, 1708, Artspace, Corporate & Museum Frame, and has installed temporary murals all over the world. His art has been featured in such magazines as Juxtapose, Giant Robot, Stop Smiling, Style Weekly, Richmond Magazine, 64 and Time Out (Amsterdam). He has opened Egg Space, a gallery for underground artists to show all mediums of work. Permanent collections include Capital One, NBC, GAP, Old Navy, Heinze Collection, Ducati and St. Laurent Inc.
