Eric Fischl’s sublimations on mylar with pins on paper give an artistic approach to the thesis of human portrayals. Fischl explores the psyche of interpretation- of how we see ourselves versus the image we portray to those around us. He emphasizes this in the stacked translucent layers of images. The artworks are interpreted narratives that focus on the characters in the story.

Ever-present is Fischl’s disconnection of the characters in a society that does not support the collective. There is a selfless pose that is contradicted by an external posture. Body language reads louder than the internal dialogue of the mind’s constant chatter of self. In the artwork, how we perceive our own actions might not adequately reflect the reality of a dominant disposition seen by others.

In Men in Water, Fischl’s almost-nude subjects bare large amounts of skin, leaving them vulnerable exposing their core’s truth. In Man Woman and Boy, the ocean breeze flutters the blouse of the woman, while the boy to the left of the composition enjoys an innocent day at the beach. Their relations are unknown creating plots and tales foretold only by the viewing audience, making elaborate connections where none might exist. The audiences’ role connects the subjects in a visual approach while the artist’s physical layers of transparent mylar build physical levels to the storyline.