We've been closely following the public and studio practice of Italian spraypaint virtuoso Eron, and were excited to see a new solo show Close Your Eyes and See, currently on view at Galleria Patricia Armocida.

Matching the poetic title, the exhibition comprises eight spray-paint on canvas paintings, three drawings on paper and one site-specific sculptural installation, all of which cleverly utilize the distinctiveness of his unorthodox technique. Almost exclusively created using spraypaint, with some additional pencil and pastel touchups on smaller works on paper, Eron plays with the effect of bright light shining towards the viewer. Using a rising or setting sun as a symbol for a new beginning, the artist reinvents this familiar image into heart-shaped Surrealist scenery, making a distinction between what we're looking at and what we're actually seeing. Ambiguous at first glance, the fogginess of the imagery eventually reveals a clear message to those willing to explore it. Setting over the river, shining from a traffic light or glowing above the undistinct landscape, these shining hearts somehow feel as visual metaphors for an optimistic vision of a possible future.

Alongside the series includes a clever critique of religion in the form of a launching church tower, as well as works addressing the refugee crisis, inclusivity, and globalization. Finally, successfully translating his public practice into a gallery setting, Eron constructs an unusual intervention on a typical drying rack installed on the gallery's staircase. Creating an illusion of a girl's portrait appearing on the folded fabric, Eron continues to showcase past events and people as a warning for the present. Sasha Bogojev

Eron's Close Your Eyes and See is on view at Galleria Patricia Armocida through April 4, 2020.