My name is Eric Hagan. I am an American artist operating in Washington DC. I have been developing my style of ink illustrations for 16 years. My work centers around what I call the infinite texture. I explore the use of faces, something our minds instantly recognize, as a texture to be woven and intertwined.
Upon reaching a certain density of these patterns, typically around 30-40 hours into the drawing, something exhilarating happens. The markings I use to hint at a human figure; eyes, noses, chins, etc. begin to leap over each other and form new beings. At this stage, after days of careful, highly intentional placement, the piece comes to life, independent and out of my control. At this point, I experience the same sense of awe that I try to manufacture for others, the piece now reveals itself.
I strive to create art, with no fixed focal point, no intended way of seeing, in order to create a wholly unique experience for every viewer. Not only do I want my audience to see something completely different than everyone else, I want them to see something different every single day. I want the piece to shift, to move, and to mirror the onlooker. These patterns are only completed by the viewer and whatever they project. What comes to the forefront of the drawing is a reflection of the onlooker, as many dissonant emotions fill the same space, share the same eyes. What you see is what you see in the world, in others, in yourself.
That is what I am pursuing with my art. To create a wellspring that gives something new every day. A self perpetuating mechanism that dispenses awe and wonder upon every viewing. I want to challenge people in their assuredness of their own perception, and ask themselves what else changes every day? We are all shifting mosaics of incongruous parts, beautiful and strange, endlessly breaking apart, endlessly reforming, into something new.
