Passing light

Equal parts love and strife, Rasmus Eckhardt’s atmospheric paintings do not come easily. Instead, his arresting images of urban solitude and quiet moments lost in nature are born through battle, with two opposing forces vying for his attention. One darkly advocates the pursuit of chaos and discord, like a cartoon devil on his shoulder, and the other is brightly empathetic, pulling him back into the light and towards love. This dichotomy is innate for Eckhardt, lending his works an unexpected power and truth. The Danish painter recently immersed himself in New York City for a two-month stint, living and working in Ridgewood, Queens. Daily trips exploring new neighborhoods and the city at large were juxtaposed with long nights in his live/work space, as he pursued the city’s unique magic and magnetic allure. Eckhardt depicts scenes ranging from a sunrise at Far Rockaway to a lone car wash attendant in Brooklyn to boaters in Central Park, all blissfully drifting in and out of focus, somehow obscuring the artist’s and the city’s darker edges. Many of Eckhardt’s soft pastel paintings are fully completed, only to be sanded down and reattempted. The back-and-forth interplay between layers of pastel and sandpaper gives his final works a hazy yet relatable character that is earnest and full of feeling. The urge to faithfully record his experiences and unique encounters in NYC is tempered by an even stronger desire to convey something both real and ethereal. Paintings take on the form of ghosts in Eckhardt’s hands, documenting memories and as much of time and place as possible. When the literal dust settles, and the fight is over, Eckhardt’s paintings and vision feel hopeful and cathartic in their transience.