ERICA WESTENBERGER PROMISING EMERGING ARTIST ON MUNCHIES ART CLUB MAGAZINE
Erica Westenberger, born in 1991, is an emerging interdisciplinary artist from New Orleans, LA.
In 2023, Erica Westenberger's second solo exhibition, 'a murmur at foredawn,' at the Sibyl Gallery In New Orleans, captured our attention at Munchies Art Club.
Her art, a fusion of suburban landscapes and psychological spaces, invites viewers into a world where traditional norms are both questioned and embraced."
Excerpt From The Exhibition Text For Her Show At Sibyl Gallery
This encounter led us to invite her to be part of our series on Emerging Artists worth watching.
She is undoubtedly an artist to follow, and we highly recommend keeping up with her work on Instagram.
Erica Westenberger is steadily building her presence in the art community.
Her time as a 2021 Artist-in-Residence at the Joan Mitchell Center In New Orleans was a significant step in her artistic development.
Continuing her upward trajectory, she is set to join Stove Works In Chattanooga, TN, as a resident artist in 2024, marking another exciting chapter in her evolving artistic journey.
VOICING HER VISION: ERICA WESTENBERGER ON HER ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS
Myth and storytelling follow a framework that offers guidelines for moral consciousness when main characters are at crossroads.
My artistic practice employs these structures to counteract feelings of internal conflict that have no direct resolution.
Erica Westenberger | Work in Progress -> "secret called the simmer chamber" | Bas relief sculpture | 57.1 x 48.3 cm | Photo and Courtesy of the Image by the Artist
The world-building I explore is centered around spaces of mental uncertainty by using drawn narrative, installation, and sculptural relationships.
Erica Westenberger | "cast the net" | Graphite on paper in handmade frame | 48.26 x 93.98 cm framed | Photo by Sibyl Gallery
Through visual tension, highlight how complicated emotions of doubt have been integral in self-discovery throughout time.
ERICA WESTENBERGER PROMISING EMERGING ARTIST ON MUNCHIES ART CLUB MAGAZINE
Erica Westenberger | "a murmur at foredawn exhibition", installation shot | Sibyl Gallery solo show | Photo by Sibyl Gallery
I employ the distended body as a compositional tool that can unveil illuminating details about sensitive experiences as a woman, daughter, sister, and friend.
Seen throughout the work’s symbolic trappings are expressions of femininity and domesticity surrounded by vaguely-threatening vignettes.
Fusing these elements generates a narrative stress that reflects the ambivalence women have about choices, or lack there of, to participate in societal standard.
I disrupt artifices of normalcy to feature the apprehension felt within traditional systems of domestic responsibilities, care giving relationships, and idealized appearance–conflicts that cause anxiety while allowing for self-reflection.
My practice incorporates sculptural relief processes to position themes of fraught feminine interiority as age-old societal issues.
The hand-hewn nature hints at the ancient wall tablets that portray narratives about belief systems, implying there is an ethic encoded in these pieces
Erica Westenberger | "candied debris", detail | Bas relief sculpture and detail of the artwork | 142.2 x 64.8 x 12.7 cm | A murmur at foredawn exhibition | Photo by Erica Westenberger
Historically, stories of women’s experience have been formed or reiterated by men which ultimately produce messaging that highlights patriarchal initiatives about beauty and submission.
My work expresses untold narratives centered around feelings of apprehension and mercurial longings that are implicit in the feminine experience.
Text by Artist Westenberger
FOLLOW THE PROMISING ARTIST ERICA WESTENBERGER ON HER ARTISTIC JOURNEY:
Erica Westenberger's Art is not just a visual feast; it is a journey into the heart of feminine experience and societal expectations.
Her innovative use of narrative, sculpture, and installation invites viewers to confront and reflect on the complex emotions and roles that define the modern woman.
As Erica Westenberger continues to grow and articulate her vision through her art, she is emerging as a notable presence in the interdisciplinary art scene.
Her work offers fresh perspectives, inviting us to reconsider themes of femininity and internal conflict in innovative ways.
Her creations serve as a gateway for those intrigued by the exploration of personal narrative and societal roles, showcasing the evolving influence of art in these realms.
Erica Westenberger | Website
To gain a fuller appreciation of Erica Westenberger's Art, Explore More Exhibition Views At Sibyl Gallery, visit her Website, and stay connected for the latest updates on her journey.
