Artist Profile: Erik Scherb

By Ellen Samsell Salas

As an undergraduate, Erik Scherb trained to be a commercial photographer. Now, his photography and videography span commercial as well as artistic realms, combining technical know-how with aesthetic sensibilities.

Scherb’s goal — whether he is photographing an actor, author, or family or creating a company video or an abstract piece — is to engage viewers.

In portraits, he must gain a sense of his subjects’ essential qualities, what makes them interesting, and then figure out how to “visually tell the story they want to convey.”

In shooting product stills, Scherb aims to showcase what makes the product special.

“Products need to look authentic and real, but you also want them to be almost super real and perfect,” he said. “You want them to look amazing. You have to have the lighting, the color temperature right.”

Enhancing Scherb’s understanding of color, light, value, and composition is the aesthetic element of his work. Two tours in Afghanistan impressed upon him that life is fleeting and caused him to expect more than technical precision in his photography.

Later, his master’s program at Savannah College of Art and Design spurred him “to think as an artist, not a craftsperson.” His recent work in abstraction freed him to work as an artist.

Scherb’s urban landscapes evolved, as he walked through empty streets at the onset of the pandemic, asking how could he present the everyday world in unique ways.

“I experimented with movement. Movement of the camera,” he said. “So, it became expressionist versus only being an observer. I was able to put myself into the image by movement then to send it out into the world, and let viewers react. I really enjoy that the artist puts so much into the work then is forgotten, and the viewer does the work of interpreting, seeing what they want to see.”

Skilled in Photoshop, Scherb combines multiple images, creating a finished work where light, color, and shapes interplay and invite viewers to respond to the piece through their own discernment.

While definitely a photographic jack-of-all-trades, “explorer” more aptly describes Scherb.

“Portrait, product, or fine art, I want people to be completely in love with my photographs. My joy is getting people to love themselves in the image I create. In my abstract work, my joy is when someone is engaged and impacted by the same thing I was impacted by. I hope that I’m building a connection, a bridge through my art.”

For more information about the artist, or to view his work, visit SageCatStudio.com or follow him on Instagram @sagecatstudio or Facebook.com/sagecatstudio.