Eric Hesse’s work exists in the space between presence and absence. Billboards are a motif that have appeared in his work previously but in this series Hesse dives deeply into this iconic form. But notably, Hesse has removed all but the slightest traces of recognizable content from the billboards. In Adjusted Expectations, the content of the billboard seems to flow upwards as if melting in reverse - the contents disintegrating and floating away. In Lost at Sky the contents have lifted off the billboard completely leaving blankness with just a faint hint of color. In Up All Night, the billboard itself is a transparent veil through which we can see the starry lights of the city beyond. With the ubiquitous and highly recognizable shape as the centerpiece of each painting, Hesse is asking us to consider what these forms represent.