Inspired by traumatic events in society and his personal life, Edo Rosenblith’s artwork juxtaposes dark subject matter with humor in a stylized form of painting reminiscent of R. Crumb and Philip Guston.

Working in mediums such as printmaking and painting, Rosenblith’s work often reflects his ability to find beauty and interest in the grotesque. Blending humor and obsessive detail, the imagery can be overtly political or personally relatable. Lighthearted imagery mingles with dark subjects in an exaggerated tale of everyday life.

In Black Space/White Lines, the artist takes the fairly comfortable experience of the traditional gallery wall as a starting point and reverses expectations by transforming it from pristine white to black and bathing the space in black light. Using paint markers commonly used by graffiti artists, Rosenblith presents an on-site wall painting—in the starkness of black and white—crowded with leering faces in various stages of cartoon anxiety.

Offering up a mirror to humanity, Rosenblith exposes the psychology of a subject while keeping them accessible. The world presented her is in a state of disturbance, suggested by the numerous severed limbs and weapons. Rosenblith’s compelling imagery draws the viewer in and makes them engage with the trauma in the world in an exceptionally honest way.

Edo Rosenblith: Black Space/White Lines is organized for the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis by the Teen Museum Studies Class of 2014.