Eros Thanatos

Artist Statement

I grew up in St Petersburg. Fl when my family had to move down to Florida from Colorado to help care for my uncle who was dying of brain cancer. Robert Braccio was a wonderful man with unshaking faith in humanity, kindness and humor and was a big influence in my life. My uncle Rob encouraged my pursuit in the arts and at his funeral I saw what a profound impact death and a life well lived could have on people. That began my life long obsession with death and the unknown.

Growing up feeling dysphoria about my gender, I knew I experienced sexuality in a different way but I could not put a finger on why. It wasn't until later in my life after failed relationships, battling depression and anxiety, that I discovered that I was Nonbinary. I explain this because my understanding of sexuality is tied with death and identity, the death of the ego or self, and my spiritual beliefs of these opposing forces.

I studied art history and anthropology at the University of South Florida, with a focus on death, dying and spiritual beliefs of burial which I then codify into symbols and colors that I hide within my paintings to communicate these complex ideas. Ideally, if you were to read about ancient symbolism of death, dying and cosmology, you will continue to be rewarded with the many hidden messages I have hidden in my work. Like death, my symbolism is largely imperceptible unless brought to attention.

I work primarily in acrylic paint but due to the nature of my Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, I also work in mixed media, incorporating many different styles and materials as a way to communicate the complex ideas that I often struggle to explain in person. Instead of working against my ADHD and conforming to the traditional path of professional artists, I have decided to work with it and have found much better results.

Biography

My name is Eve Pitts but my Alias is Eros Thanatos Art and I am a nonbinary multidisciplinary artist that works in acrylic paints, mixed media, embroidery and digital artwork. I also paint murals on the side. I was born in Colorado, but spent most of my life in St Petersburg Florida, and grew up studying art and wanting to be an artist from the time I was in high-school. I went to college in St Petersburg Community college for Art, and I got my bachelors in Art History and Anthropology at the University of South Florida. Since then I have worked in Galleries and museums that have influenced me to expand my interests in taking a more multimedia approach. I have also apprenticed under the nationally acclaimed artist Donald Giallanella, a metal sculptor who has taught me to push beyond my boundaries and how to find my own voice. I am diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, after years of struggling to fit myself into a box. Knowing what I have now, Instead of working against my nature, I now work with it and go with the flow of what catches my attention and delve into the journey that my ADHD takes me, rather than conforming to a more traditional professional artist path.

Exhibition History (CV)