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It’s confirmed. I’m pretty sure I’ve stumbled into the sweetest summer internship in town. Last Friday, Cori and Aviva invited me to join them at Ambach & Rice gallery for a pre-opening party of artist Eric Yahnker’s new solo show, Naughty Teens/Garbanzo Beans. Not only did the fascinating, well-dressed artist-types provide perfect schmoozing material, but there was something else to make any unpaid intern’s ears perk up on the spot: free food. And good free food. Chef Matthew Dillion, owner of Sitka & Spruce and The Corson Building, provided an array of delicious and beautiful dishes that said artist-types balanced on one hand as they milled around the space admiring Eric’s work. This show was by far one of the most fulfilling I’ve seen in a long time in large part due to the unmistakable humorous streak that runs through Eric’s work, making his art easily accessible and exceedingly enjoyable. Coupled with his undeniable talent for drawing and an arsenal of clever pop culture references, Eric’s art jumps off the walls and demands that you pay attention to it. Right. Now. My favorite piece came from a series called “Selected Reading.” A very large drawing in graphite depicts Dorothy looking up from a copy of Sartre’s Nausea, apparently shocked by Sartre’s unapologetic stance. An easy to overlook piece in the corner of the gallery is Eric’s nod to his college dream of becoming a broadcast journalist. Viewers watch a video from the anchor’s point of view. All we see is the microphone as the off-screen anchor scrambles to interview a series of flighty cats that bear an uncanny resemblance to celebrities fleeing from ardent reporters. In addition to his talent on the page, Eric also demonstrates unbelievable dedication and endurance in a piece called “Analogous to the Fall of That One Empire (Moby Dick.)” Using a pair of fingernail scissors, Eric cut out and alphabetized every single letter, punctuation mark, and number in Herman Melville’s classic, Moby Dick and then arranged them in discrete piles on a circle of mirrors. I’m still ambivalent as to whether that kind of fortitude is ridiculous good or ridiculous bad. Not only did I enjoy the food and the art very much, but Cori and Aviva continually introduced me to a slew of interesting people modeling remarkable footwear. If this evening was any indication of what my summer is going to be like, the next three months promise to be action-packed. But not to worry; I am adventure ready.
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