mtn space gallery is pleased to present On the Nightmare, a solo exhibition of ink and collage work by South Florida-based artist R.J. Rodriguez.
On the Nightmare takes its name from the eponymous 20th century psychoanalytic classic text by Ernest Jones, which outlines humans’ innate fear of and fascination with nightmarish figures such as incubi and succubi, witches, night-fiends, the devil, and more — from the medieval period onward.
On view will be a selection of work exalting these figures and visions, with Rodriguez’s signature blend of 80s horror and Lovecraftian cosmicism.
R.J. Rodriguez (b. 1994) is a South Florida-based artist and educator. He received a BFA in Painting from Florida Atlantic University in 2016. His work focuses on the longstanding relationship between art and myth to explore their use as selective weapons in supporting supermajority rule across history. Pulling just as much from medieval imagery as extraterrestrial dreaming, Rodriguez conjures eerie nightmare realms to highlight contemporary humanist issues.
"So on his Nightmare, through the evening fog, flits the squat fiend o’er fen, and lake, and bog…such as of late amid the murky sky, was marked by Fuseli’s poetic eye…" -Erasmus Darwin
On the Nightmare will be on view through November 2, 2024. An opening reception will take place on Saturday, September 21, from 6-8pm.