Erin Bodfish is a painter, florist, and writer based in Central Oregon. Through the intersection of her writing and painting practice, Bodfish weaves together a history of grief, memory, and presence of the body in an emotive landscape. Her work is largely influenced by the conceptual deconstruction of traditional methods of painting, and the use of the body as a tool in art making. Bodfish received her Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Oregon State University along with a Minor in Applied Visual Arts. As a Merit Scholar, she completed her dual Masters of Fine Arts in Visual Studies and Masters of Arts in Critical Studies at Pacific Northwest College of Art.  Bodfish is currently an instructor of Art and Art History at Oregon State-Cascades in Bend, OR.

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Marrow, Mourning, Mischief

 

Marrow- A soft fatty substance in the cavities of bones, in which blood cells are produced (often taken as typifying strength and vitality).

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Mourning- The expression of deep sorrow. A state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one. 

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Mischief- Playful misbehavior or trouble making. Playfulness. A playful form of troublemaking. 

 

Through my work I seek to find an understanding of the materiality of emotion. Presently, I achieve this through the use of oil and encaustic paint mediums, installation based works, floral design, and performance art. In this work I strive to address issues of the human body, and how we live in it. Central to this, is how memory can be located in the body and the expression of that. I seek to understand the spaces we hold for grief and love, and how these are transformative for the human condition. 
 

By using a limited or monochromatic palette within my paintings, I invite viewers to focus on the texture and materiality of the substances used. I am attracted to the qualities of the encaustic paint that feel like skin, the smoothness and softness, and the impermanence of working on raw fabric. This for me echoes the buoyancy of the human body. These works are abstractly akin to my own physical and subjective existence. They are a reaction to my environment, involving individuals I encounter and spaces I move within.

 

I view the body as a vessel for ephemerality and the expression of time. By challenging the body to be used not only as a tool but also as a material, I am able to express the conceptual framework for my making. I push my body to its physical and mental limits to express my understanding of the human condition, in the hopes to create open conversations around vulnerability, grief, and love.