Fragmented Figures Connect Many Moments in Time Across a Single Canvase

Abstract Figurative Paintings by Eric Pause

Ontario-based artist Eric Pause creates acrylic paintings that connect several moments in time. He renders abstract figures with overlapping geometric shapes, synthesizing their movements into one composition.

Each of these striking pieces is inspired by a simple idea that's usually connected to a specific feeling that Pause wants to express, such as love, anxiety, or boredom. This emotion is then captured by one or multiple figures that are intentionally fractured by planes of color, often within the same blue and orange palette that unites these diverse artworks. Paintings that feature one figure, for instance, depict the same body in various poses, which in turn help the viewer visualize the passage of time taking place—even across one canvas.

Pause relies on the power of body language to convey the sentiment, leaving the narrative open for interpretation. Though subtle, he suggests the emotions of his figures with the numerous hand poses placed across the canvas, with legs that restlessly change positions, or sometimes both. In pieces that include two figures, Pause's distinct style merges their bodies with shapes colored in blueish hues.

You can buy limited edition screen prints of Pause's work via his website, and keep up to date with his latest creations by following the artist on Instagram.