Reception | "Waves Become Wings" solo exhibition by artist Erik Spehn.
"Waves Become Wings"
Erik Spehn
SEPTEMBER 8 - OCTOBER 24, 2026
Reception: Thursday, September 10 | 6 - 8 PM.
"Waves Become Wings" presents the latest evolution in Spehn’s ongoing exploration of a distinct formal abstract visual language, loosely based on the grid and anchored in philosophical inquiry.
Operating within self-imposed compositional and procedural parameters, these works continue to examine notions that arise from the philosophical concept of "principium individuationis," as well as its dissolution, blurring the lines between field and figure, objectivity and subjectivity. Rigid Apollonian systems of order are juxtaposed against Dionysian gestural mark-making, acknowledging the inherent mercurial and chaotic nature of paint itself, and the architecture necessary to constrain it.
Further reinforcing these seemingly dichotomous relationships, a concurrent and parallel line of inquiry investigates ideas of simulacra. Shaped panels are introduced and presented here side-by-side with their rectangular counterparts in pairs. Utilizing similar proportions, as well as the same reduced palettes, these "Doppelgänger" raise questions of authenticity, replication, and illusion, suggesting a perplexing ontological paradox.
Erik Spehn received his BFA from the University of Michigan School of Art, Ann Arbor, MI. He has exhibited at museums and institutions including the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo, NY; Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, St. Louis, MO; Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, MO; Saarländisches Künstlerhaus, Saarbrücken, Germany; Centre d’Art Contemporain, Metz, France; and others. His work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO; Albright–Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, MO; Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; Microsoft, Arlington, VA; and others.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
In Partnership with COLLECTIVE FUTURES
Friday, October 2 | 6:30 PM
Walkthrough with Erik Spehn: An Invitation to Look Closer
First Friday | Gallery Walk in Philadelphia
Friday, October 2 | 7 – 8 PM
For all inquiries, please contact us at [email protected] or +1 (215) 625-9990.
