ep. 020: The Paradox of Living/A Conversation with Artist Scott Erickson

Welcome to today’s conversation with Scott Erickson, painter, illustrator, live performer, and author. I was first introduced to Scott’s work circa 2018 when our church hung illustrations he had made in our Fellowship Hall. His work, although often using Christianity mythology as his jumping off point for processing life’s harder lessons, is especially known for featuring the sacred and profane. He reminds us the pope had diarrhea, Mother Theresa got her period, and Mary’s labor with Jesus was ugly and messy.

As embodied beings, we are remiss if we don’t consider the spiritual and temporal nature of life on earth. And Scott’s honest art speaks to the paradox of living in mind, body and spirit, asking everyone to scooch over a little there by creating space at the table for anyone with a desire to make meaning from our very existence in this tension.

You can find Scott’s work on Instagram, his website, and sign up for his Substack. And definitely book a ticket to one of his upcoming shows or even consider using his art for your next tattoo(!!!!)

Amy Elizabeth is an artist and film photographer living in Minneapolis, MN. She runs the group The Art Lab for creatives who want to connect and push forward in their artistry. She is also the owner/operator of Film Lab 135, a bespoke lab dedicated to processing experimental film, and specializing in film soup. You can find her on Instagram @itsamyliz.