Andrew David Ringler “The Opioid Trail”

Gallery Onetwentyeight

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A stirring visual exploration of the people and places throughout rural America affected by a dismal outbreak of despair and drug abuse, The Opioid Trail provides a singular window into the epidemic.

A native Ohioan, Andrew David Ringler has witnessed first-hand the corrosive effects of narcotic abuse in his home state. In his paintings, he captures the multifaceted dynamic of this rural community.

Quilted barns no longer display their storied folklore but now reveal the Narcan overdose nasal spray logo. Abandoned historic homes of distant grandeur stand sentinel on the landscape, a visual parallel to the ongoing economic and social downturn.

Intent on shattering the negative stereotypes of those affected by the lethal epidemic, Ringler portrays them in their distinct complexity, eliciting empathy and understanding from his viewers.