Hiatus

The works featured in Hiatus were heavily influenced by hard-edged artists, Piet Mondrian and Josef Albers, and shaped canvas artists – most notably Frank Stella. Between 1974 and 1984, Eric M. Olson created a series of watercolors that expressed his extension of these pioneering artworks. These conceptual pieces lay dormant in Olson’s sketchbooks for the better part of 40 years while he pursued a doctorate at the University of Minnesota, built his career as a professor and administrator at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and raised a family.  

COVID-19 gave Olson the opportunity to bring his art back to life. He rediscovered his sketchbooks and found the time to turn those conceptual works into full-sized acrylic canvas-over-plywood backed paintings. As the full-sized paintings began to emerge, Olson approached titling the pieces by reflecting upon the times in which they were conceived. He borrows titles of songs from that era that he connected with and whose essential messages were positive. Through these nostalgic titles, he links family members and friends to specific paintings in the series. 

When creating his art pieces, Olson focuses on shape, size, and interaction of colors. He does this so the audience must view each piece more than once. He wants viewers to stand at a distance where the piece can be fully taken in and they can consider each work’s unique asymmetry and contrasting lines and color planes.  

The artist states: 

“I consider my works successful if one or both of the following occur: 1) viewers generate their own interpretation/stories as to what these shapes might reflect within their unique set of life experiences, and/or 2) they find something visually appealing that brings a moment of enjoyment. There are no wrong interpretations here.” 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Eric M. Olson, Ph.D. is a Professor of Strategic Management and Marketing in the College of Business at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He has been a member of the faculty since 1992 and served in a variety of administrative positions including Department Chair, Associate Dean, and Interim Dean. He is the author of over 50 academic articles that have been cited over 9,500 times in the areas of marketing strategy, new product development, and design management. He has presented research papers on the intersection of design and management at Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute, Ecole Superieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales: Cergy-Pontoise/Paris, Universidad de Navarra - IESE: Barcelona, and the German Design Council: Frankfurt am Main. He is a recipient of numerous recognitions including the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Member, the Faculty Award for Excellence in Research and four-time College of Business Outstanding Faculty Member Award.  

He earned a Ph.D. from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota in 1992, MBA from Portland State University in 1986, and a bachelor's degree from Lewis and Clark College in 1975 where he majored in History and minored in Art. His 1975 tryptic titled “Integration” was accepted into the American Painters in Paris bi-centennial exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 1976. He comes from a multi-generational family of artists and designers. 

IMPORTANT DATES

Exhibition on View
April 6 - 22, 2023

Opening Event

Thursday, April 6, 2023, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
GOCA Project Space, Ent Center for the Arts

Gallery Talk with Eric M. Olson

Thursday, April 13, 2023, 5:30pm
GOCA Project Space, Ent Center for the Arts

No registration required

Gallery hours:
Thursday - Saturday, 1 - 6 p.m.

or by appointment