CONSTANT BEARING
BY DAVID EICHENBERGER

Opening Reception: Saturday 7/22, 6:00-9:00pm

Closing Reception: Saturday 7/29, 6:00-9:00pm

Artist Talk, 7/29, 7:00pm

A nautical term describing a situation in which two ships approach one another while maintaining the same relative bearing, indicating a collision course.

Through meticulously hand drawn images the exhibition, Constant Bearing, represents the artist’s view of the current climate of the world, both political and environmental. Eichenberger uses animal allegories to express the frustration he feels watching the country’s two major parties use hostility and fear to promote a culture of denial. Created during the 2016 election year and post-election 2017, this body of work reflects the sense of uneasiness that gripped the nation, spurred on by the twenty-four hour news cycle. The events surrounding the presidential election have obsessed the artist, sparking debates amongst family and friends, and a deep feeling of dread. Instead of turning away from such difficult feelings Eichenberger has chosen to embrace them and let them fuel his practice. 

The major themes of Constant Bearing are self-destruction, defeatism, and the fight or flight mentality. Eichenberger uses iconic symbols of history such as the scarab, the serpent, the elephant and the donkey to create imagery that appears innocuous but contains a darker underlying meaning.