Finding Purchase 2018

Erik Thor Sandberg created “Finding Purchase”. Sandberg, who was born in 1975, is part of a generation of artists who grew up in a world where the human form has been increasingly augmented and reconfigured through technological and medical interventions. The woman’s body in this painting merges classical ideals with a post-modern sensibility. Her fragmented and layered representation challenges traditional notions of beauty and wholeness. The external faces suggest a multitude of identities. Her internal form, exposed in red, hints at vulnerability and rawness. The green turtle, a symbol of longevity and stability, becomes a source of support. Its presence encourages us to consider the search for grounding in an ever-changing world. Sandberg's work asks: How do we negotiate the complexities of identity? The painting becomes a meditation on self-discovery and resilience. Sandberg invites us to consider the various masks we wear, and the internal struggles we face, as we seek to define ourselves.