ART: Eric Yahnker

I’m supremely jealous of Eric Yahnker and his sculptures. Also, I’m very envious of his drawing skills, which take popular culture imagery to another level. Take, for example, “Juanita Horsetits” or “Hannah Montana Hamburger Helper“, both of which unashamedly make fun of popular icons – Yahnker is all about the comedy, and it is actually all funny.

There’s something rather fatalistic about his oeuvre, humorous yet bitter about the state of the world. Yahnker’s sculptural practice incorporates an ad-hoc aesthetic that lacks the gloss of his drawings. As an artist, Yahnker practices visual stand up, hiding behind a tremendous amount of detail and skill whilst fumbling with the microphone. Whilst we could be forgiven from seeing his work as a series of one-liners, the sculptures give a physical punch that’s immediate. His objects mock us with their honesty and rawness, especially the “Analogous to the Fall of that One Empire (Gap Shirt)” (2004-05), which is literally stretched back to its main signifying attraction. Watch your back.

Text by Marion Piper.