Eric Barth: Of Silt and Solace

Brandt Gallery is pleased to present, “Of Silt and Solace”, a new collection by artist Eric Barth, whose evocative landscapes explore the delicate line between the ordinary and the sublime, memory and reality, abstraction and representation. The exhibition presents landscapes and seascapes as emotional spaces rather than geographical records — distilled moments that awaken memory, invite introspection, and remind viewers that beauty can still be found within the commonplace and overlooked.

Working in oil pastel, soft pastel, and chalk on paper stretched over panel, Barth creates atmospheric works that feel both deeply familiar and impossibly elusive. His landscapes do not depict literal places, but rather the emotional residue of places remembered — quiet shorelines, distant horizons, softened fields, and industrial traces that linger at the edges of perception. Though serene from a distance, Barth’s paintings frequently reveal evidence of industrialization upon closer inspection — smoke rising in the distance, structures emerging through haze, or traces of human intervention embedded within the landscape. These elements create a quiet tension between nature and industry, permanence and impermanence- juxtaposed against contemplative landscape, thus creating a harmony between two distinctly different worlds. This dialogue extends into the artist’s handcrafted frames, where exposed layered edges contrast with clean aluminum leaf finishes, reinforcing the balance between rawness and refinement found throughout the work.

“There is a familiar simplicity to my paintings,” says Barth. “The places I depict don't necessarily exist in the real world, yet they offer the suggestion of somewhere that we have been, a place that we know. Like memory, the details may be ambiguous.

Eric Barth grew up near Lake Erie, in the suburbs of Cleveland, where his early involvement in the arts began in the underground music scene. He holds a BFA from The Ohio State University and formerly  founded The Barth Galleries. Barth has exhibited extensively nationally, including in Memphis, TN, Indianapolis, IN, and New York City, NY. His work has also been acquired into numerous public and private collections. Often associated with contemporary Tonalism, Barth’s paintings evoke affinities with late 19th-century artists such as James Whistler and Camille Corot, while pushing the genre toward a more distilled and abstracted language. His subtle handling of atmosphere, light, and texture creates landscapes imbued with a meditative stillness and emotional resonance.

“Of Silt and Solace” is on view during gallery hours, Wednesday to Friday 11am-5pm, Saturday to Sunday from 1-5pm, and by private appointment. There will be an opportunity to meet the artist from 5-7:30pm on Friday, June 5th. A virtual catalog will  also be available. Private appointments and virtual catalogs can be requested by emailing brgalleries@gmail.com or calling 614.223.1655.