Life Aquatic - Artist Statement

Erich Franz is an artist based in Prince George who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of British Columbia. During the mid-seventies, Franz sculpted, painted and made drawings, however, after a number of years other priorities emerged and he put his art practice on hold.

In an effort to make time for himself, Franz took up fly-fishing and tying. Quickly, this hobby transformed into a passion with the added benefit of stress reduction. To Franz, the restorative nature of fly-fishing and tying cannot be overstated. These are activities that can be undertaken with friends and family, lead one to beautiful remote places, and even allow solitude for contemplation. Franz explains: “when fly-fishing or tying, one must adopt a certain rhythm – move too fast or too slow and it won’t work.” Finding this pace involves focus and repetition; once it is achieved Franz finds himself completely present in the moment, comfortably lost in the task at hand.

Having experienced the meditative act of fly-fishing and tying, Franz sought to honour his hobby with a series of drawings modeled after mandalas. By definition, a mandala is a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. The purpose of the mandala is to function as a guide to meditation and to assist with healing. This design choice is significant considering that, within Franz’ life, fly-fishing and tying have served a purpose similar to that of the mandala. These passions have guided Franz towards a greater level of self-care through relaxation and mental rejuvenation.

Franz’ choice of subject matter further honours his pastime: each mandala is decorated with images of aquatic ecology and equipment specific to the world of fly-fishing and tying. Using graphite, Franz plays with light and dark values in order to create three-dimensional illusion (Bull Trout, 2015). He explores textures which give flies a feather-like quality (Glenn’s Leech, 2016) or evoke movement (Caddis Emerging, 2016). Franz also alters scale in order to emphasize objects such as fishing reels (Brook Trout, 2016) or animals that are much smaller in real life (Chironomid Pupa, 2017). Carefully planned in advance, each mandala is developed using a detailed repeating pattern taking up to forty hours to complete.

The level of commitment demanded by Franz’ drawing process is equal to his passion for fly-fishing and tying. Life Aquatic is an exhibition that embodies this passion, and speaks to the importance of taking time for ones self.

Meghan Hunter-Gauthier

Acting Assistant Curator

Two Rivers Gallery