Distorted Realities, an art show by artist Eric Utterback, was held from Aug. 26 through Oct. 13 in the University of Evansville’s Krannert Gallery. 

I went into this show knowing nothing about it, not even where the Krannert Gallery was, with only a postcard advertising it in hand and the general concern that somehow I would manage to get lost on their campus. 

Less than half a mile from where I parked, I found it. 

The gallery was small and echoed with the chatter of students heading to class and lounging in seating areas, but this relaxed environment didn’t detract from my viewing experience.

What I found was an assortment of fantasy-themed paintings created with a wide range of techniques. 

In some of his paintings, Utterback appears to be using sgraffito, scratching away layers of paint to reveal what is beneath them.

In his painting “Last Dream,” this generates an effect that is reminiscent of colored pencils applied lightly to paper; the texture is intense. For me, this softened the piece both visually by making the subjects of the painting less distinct and emotionally by bringing back feelings of nostalgia. 

Utterback also seems to be priming the panels he paints on himself, based on the many directions the brush strokes point. By applying gesso without sanding between layers, he can create the raised surfaces that will later be scraped away. 

Connecting many of these pieces is his use of pattern.

In “Last Dream,” “Overgrown 1” and the piece that brought me to this gallery, “Hydra’s Nest,” Utterback seems to have used tape to create crisp lines and patterns. 

While these patterns can enhance the beauty of a piece and create a fervor in the artwork, they can also be distracting.

I love the almost houndstooth pattern in “Overgrown 1.” The orange and blue hues are stunning together, and the way the shapes interact with the flowers is fun and playful. For the color palette alone, this painting makes its way to the top of my list. 

In “Hydra’s Nest,” the thunderbolt-esque shapes pointing toward the hydra’s maw intensify the action by emphasizing the hydra lunging out of the panel. However, having these patterned lines so thin and spread out makes it difficult to see the second image hidden within the painting.

It took me multiple viewings of this painting to realize there are also knights and flowers hidden in it. While some may enjoy this quality of the painting — that there is always something new to find within it — I would have preferred if the focus stayed on the Hydra.

Overall, I enjoyed how playful and experimental these works were, and the strengths of this show were its vibrant color schemes and use of textures. Despite how different some of the paintings may seem at first, these strengths united them.

Between all the textures in Utterback’s paintings, like the way the layers of gesso, paint and wood panel shine through the glazes in his abstracted landscapes, there is something to be gained from taking the time to appreciate these paintings up close.

After spending a couple of afternoons with these paintings, I look forward to seeing more of Utterback’s artwork.

Other works by Utterback can be found on his website.