~ERIC WHITE . . . no animals allowed (!!)

FILE UNDER: flash from the past !!

painter ERIC WHITE – at the RICH JACOBS opening, FUSE GALLERY, NYC. JULY 23, 2006.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH

I knew I had a photo of this guy. if not a couple. here he is at the memorable Rich Jacobs opening – a few years back. make that 6 years back.

ERIC WHITE is the moving-to-the-forefront-quick ‘realist’ painter whose ‘magic’ realism portrait of MIE in the show: ‘MIE: A Portrait by 35 Artists’ – was hi-lighted in our JANUARY 2012 posts.
the show is still up at FREIGHT+VOLUME – it runs thru FEB 25, 2012.

see: the Jan 2012 post !!

American realism and portraiture – seem to be the trends going into the new season.

as opposed to 2011 – which could be called: THE YEAR of the ANIMAL, from MAURIZIO CATTELAN at the Guggenhiem with his swinging taxidermied dogs and horses, onto the imaginary realm of the ‘snoop-doggy dog‘ of the J.T. YOST comics, published on Bird Cage Bottom Books, no less (!!) and even including Andrew Guenther’s ‘Talking to a Fish’ !!

yep, look back over the coverage. almost every exhibit of last year had some animal reference, even if it was just the ROCKAWAY FESTIVAL of the BEES happening the same day as the skateboarder ‘SERGEV VUTU & LELE – LIVE IN THE USA’ show at, where else: ELK (!!). even that URS FISCHER laminated & illustrated table show – had some little bird, or chick and egg . . table accessories !!

not to forget – the grandaddy of them all . . . ‘Put A Bird on It’ – oh, PORTLANDIA !!

and yes, !! even down to the that yummy pit roasted pig – that got made and eaten right on the spot – at RIRKRIT TIRAVINJA’s ‘Fear Eats the Soul’ !!
I mean even CHARLIE FINCH’S dingleberry is an animal – albeit a whole colony of micro-bacteria. well, it sure ain’t a fruit – you’d be want to be popping into your mouth, any time soon, let’s leave it at that.
yep, no doubt about it 2011 – was the YEAR of the ANIMAL.

by contrast 2012 – is the year of the head-space, the mind, and its mental archive. not to forget that any ‘mind’ definition most def includes – the polar opposite mental activity . . . of archiving: andthat would be: the imagination.

abstract art kinda blew in, or tried to – but only in the mainstream press. in the underground we always knew – 2012 THE YEAR of the DRAGON was all about ‘magic’ realism and portraiture. including of course, photography and archiving. nothing abstract bout that.

p.s. except of course – we let in GERALD FERGUSON, because that was more like man thinking – than man making abstract art.

p.s. except of course – we let STEVE REINKE’S spotted hyena – onto the 2012 scene, as our animal mascot & totem – why ?
for its timely survival strategy !! that’s why !! and that’s a thinking thing, get it ?
as in, the realm of the human mind.
I mean wouldn’t REINKE translate roughly . . . as – the ‘king’ ?.

2012 – THE YEAR of the ‘MAN’ KING – NO ANIMALS – ALLOWED . . .