Selected Reading (Core of Conviction), Charcoal and graphite on paper, 100 x 72 in., 2012
Combining deep technical skill with a healthy sense of humor Eric Yahnker’s work relieves much of the seriousness that one usually associates with an A-list artist. His witty pairings of objects with detailed drawings challenges and exposes the deeply ingrained duality that hinders our culture.
His series Selected Reading highlights his approach by providing iconic cultural imagery with some challenging reading material.
As the press release for his solo show last summer at Ambach & Rice states, Yahnker:
deploys an unflinching comedic analysis of the Western world’s fixation on choice and its increasingly polarizing ramifications…Often delineating unlikely connections with paired and contrasting images, Yahnker’s conceptual approach echoes Burger King’s farcical slogan, “Have it your way!”
Light Reading. graphite on paper, 69 x 92 in., 2008.
Selected Reading (Nausea) Graphite on paper, 70 x 52.5 in., 2009.
Selected Reading (The Jews). Colored pencil and graphite on paper, 70 x 52.5 in., 2009.
Selected Reading (The Agony and the Ecstasy). Colored pencil on paper, 52.5 x 70 in., 2011.
In a recent interview with New American Paintings Yahnker says of himself:
“I’m Warholian in the way I find more beauty in my fridge or my bookshelf than in nature.” Sounds good to me. Look for another post coming up soon that features more of Yahnker’s bookworks.
A limited edition print of his ‘Selected Reading (Nausea)’ featuring Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz is currently being offered by Exhibition A.