There is something about the unsaid that fascinates me infinitely more than words can express. The place of meaning between things is to me so much more powerful than the words or pictures themselves, and I find myself consistently drawn to exploring negative spaces of all kinds. I began this exploration at UCLA while working on my BA in Japanese Literature. I was writing a paper comparing the aesthetics of modern “Lolita” youth culture to the character of Lady Murasaki in The Tale of Genji and decided to make some illustrations to better explain the extravagant visual quality of Lolita fashion. I found I could discuss far more than just fashion in those illustrations, and my Lolita character became an integral part of my thesis. Inspired by the often indirect though always highly purposeful nature of Japanese aesthetic expression, I continued to produce graphic critical papers on topics in Japanese philosophy and literature throughout the remainder of my degree.
Then when I came to California Institute of the Arts for the Character Animation program I started exploring selective expression in my visual art as well, and my entire artistic perspective suddenly transformed. I no longer felt the need to explicitly describe every line and form. I found personality, complexity and depth of emotion in flat silhouettes and negative spaces.
After school, I started making comics that used events, places, clothes, names and colors to metaphorically move the plot, instead of relying on direct actions or dialog. In comics I found my match, as the natural gap between image and text presented the perfect medium for expressing what can neither be exactly described nor depicted.
Direct sales are allocated exclusively to EK Allocation List members at a 10% discount. Orders of 6+ bottles save an additional 50% off shipping. New releases ship twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Join EK Allocation List
CUSTOMIZED ALLOCATIONS
You may customize your spring and fall allocations any way you like, from 0–12 bottles of each wine. (Small-lot and list-only wines will have lower limits.) To modify your allocations, click on MY ALLOCATION above. Join EK Allocation List
REORDERS
Wines often sell out at or close to release, so we encourage making the most of your spring and fall allocations. As long as wine remains, you are welcome to reorder online through our EK Special Order store. Or contact John Gillis at john@erickentwines.com or 415.244.9453.
