Hine nui te po and Maui's Last Lesson Painting

Epperson’s provocative paintings, collages and mixed media work, are often about women. The artist may slap you with a giant peach, a lush ball gown framing a womb in distress, or a theory of transmutation. With Epperson’s penchant for creating intellectual art you just never know where the work, all hard edges, bright color and pattern, will take you. Use of photography, digital and manual manipulation, and a multitude of wet and dry mark making mediums lead to lush, sensuous images that initially charm the viewer. It does not take long for meaning to surface however. The artist’s intuitive use of symbols and icons, appropriation and revision, and subtle details that slip into the picture edges, all wind through the unconscious, inviting a second and third look. Like the surrealists of the last century,( some of whom lived and worked in Sedona as Epperson did for fifteen years) the artist explores memories, imagining, and dreams. Sex, death and the human condition are topics the artist returns to again and again. Don’t expect delicate work from Epperson; rather plan to dive deep and have fun. When Epperson steps out of the studio, community art projects are created. Controversial topics, like guns and children, rape, female agency are fodder for art and discussion. Whether fine art or community events, the work of the artist remains provocative. Scant historical art was seen and created from the female gaze. Museums and galleries mostly cling to the tried and true male perspective to fill their hallowed spaces. In the 21st century with #MeToo, #Timesup, Harvey and others, women are stepping up and speaking out. The structure built to disregard women is crumbling into stepping stones leading us out of patriarchy, and Epperson’s work is definitely part of the commentary.