Eric Beltz was driving through LA when he spotted, on the side of the freeway, a sacred plant he was researching for its role in Shamanic cultures. From there, Beltz has delved into the secret history of weeds in drawings that take a plants-eye view of human history, particularly the role psychedelics have played in the development of human religions and even early America. One drawing takes its inspiration from a colonial regiment that accidentally ate Jimsonweed while on the march in 1676, succumbed to its psychedelic effects, and failed to quell Bacon’s Rebellion.
Eric Beltz, Holy Ambrosia, 2008-2009, Graphite on Bristol, 40" x 60".
Eric Beltz, Fucked Up, 2007, Graphite on Bristol, 28" x 22".
Eric Beltz. Medusa's Birdhouse, 2011. Graphite on Bristol. Courtesy of the Artist.
Eric Beltz. Noah's Sailboat, 2011. Graphite on Bristol. Courtesy of the Artist.
Eric Beltz. Timber Beast, 2010. Graphite on Bristol. Courtesy of the Artist.
Eric Beltz. How to Identify Flowering Plant Families, 2010. Graphite on Bristol. Courtesy of the Artist.
Eric Beltz. Buddha Zodiac, 2012. Graphite on Bristol. Courtesy of the Artist.





















