"I did the furniture for about a
year and then I decided I wanted to do the art," Erdmann explains as he relaxes
in his spacious studio space where piles of acrylic paint tubes are littered
across a table that faces a large easel. People can be heard in the gallery
space and Erdmann steps out for a moment to chat with a couple of kids who
have stopped in the gallery, attracted by the large sculptural works of Andrew
Smith. Erdmann turns the work on and the gallery is filled with the sounds
of gears and cranks churning away.
Erdmann returns and explains
his excitement about the sculptor's work, which has taken the floor space
previously occupied by couches and tables. "I really think he's going to
make it. I like his work so much I purchased one myself."
The sculpture's noises aren't
the only ones in the gallery. Jill Davis can be heard working in her nearby
fame shop. Due to a zoning ordinance, none of the spaces can be completely
closed in. Open spaces towards the ceiling on all exterior walls lead to
what Erdmann describes as a more "communal experience." No artist here is
an island, at least when it comes to hearing the others. "I have to choose
the times when I really want to work." But work he does, even if it has
to be at midnight. Every new visit to the gallery reveals a new work, strong
in design and bursting with color.
A few of his pieces are representational,
to a degree. A flower pot or oversized coffe cup, in a style reminiscent
of Wayne Thiebaud, can be found on the wall. "Here in Utah I had to prove
to people first that I could draw," Erdmann says in regards to these pieces.
But it is obvious that his own excitement is for the purely abstract works.
They are by far his stronger pieces: swirling planes of colors, slashed and
intersected by equally bright counterpoints. The touch can be rough and
expressionistic or crisp and defined.
Erdmann's gamble now is that
Utah has evolved enough to where his work and that of artists similar to himself
can be embraced. The Chroma Gallery may be the result of a slow evolution,
but it has been an organic one, advantageous both to Erdmann and the community.
It is one more decisive element that is making the Sugarhouse area a center
for artists in Salt Lake City.
Erdmann in his studio, adjacent to the gallery space. When everyone
else has gone home, the former studio drummer for Capitol Records can be found
here listening to Miles Davis while he paints. |
Darryl Erdmann received a BFA from Weber State College in 1974. He has been a professional musician, operated a number businesses, including D/E Signs and Salt Lake Contemporary Gallery, and exhibited and sold his artwork in Utah for a number of years. His works appear in private and pulic collections across the country as well as in a number of movies. |
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Artists with studios at Rockwood include:
Davis studied art in New York before coming to Utah where she completed her degree at the University of Utah. She has foregone the possibly more lucrative job of framing posters and prints to concentrate on doing work for artists and collectors. She uses only museum quality products in her framing and provides a refreshing personal relationship to the experience. By our judgment she frames for considerably less than most framing shops in town. And original art is always framed for 10% less.
Frame your art and still be able to pay the rent.
j.davis
frames is open Tuesday thru Saturday
mention this
article and receive a 10% discount until September 15th.