“Epic battle” is the only way to describe the work of a Philadelphian artist that’s on display in the Holy Spirit Library.
EJ Herczyk, associate professor at Philadelphia University, is a digital print specialist and consultant as well as a visual artist.
“EJ’s submission was one of many but his work really stood out among the rest, and his concept (part of his artist statement) was very strong and it showed in his work,” Nicholas Jacques, assistant professor of fine arts, said.
This past week on Thursday, Sept. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m., an opening reception was held to unveil Herczyk’s four-piece display of powerful collaborative artwork. Herczyk has lived in Philadelphia since 1999 and has been teaching and developing artistic pieces ever since. Jacques partnered with the art committee to offer Herczyk an opportunity to exhibit his work at Cabrini. The idea of this exhibit was to bring Philadelphia-inspired artists to the Philadelphia suburbs.
Krysten Bittner, senior graphic design major, attended the exhibit’s opening and was amazed by the detail that Herczyk put into his pieces. She said that Herczyk’s artwork shows “struggling, gorgeous detail, powerful colors, and an exciting presentation” and that, overall, the pieces are “magnificent works of art.”
The work Herczyk does includes different pieces of fabric, of all sizes and colors, graphics from video games and finally different color paints. The combination of all these unique supplies makes for an extraordinary piece.
“I would classify his work as a form of abstraction with references to representational form,” Jacques said. “As an artist, I would classify him as a painter; he just happens to use some non-traditional materials.”
When asked what’s next, Herczyk said that he’s now working on video animation. He has been drawing and designing ideas that can be made into a reality thanks to computing science and graphic design.
“Art is good for you and should be shared with all,” Herczyk said.
