Jason Coates, Mike Erickson, Rachel Hayes

Okay, I hate the idea of MFA shows in Chelsea galleries, especially rentals, BUT this is the VCU show and I lived in Richmond for almost four years and know some of the artists, so I went. Not sure if this one is a rental, although the previous VCU show two years ago at Stux cost $15,000.

Anyways, there is some good stuff!


Jason Coates, Corn, 2007 - this piece is too funny, rows of angry crazed corn. What is Jason thinking? This one makes me laugh every time I look at it. The middle row has TWO sets of buggin' eyes, and some ears have no eyes... what is it all about? I don't know, but it looks good and is funny. This painting has personality, it isn't like a painting of something with personality, it has it's own personality kind of like those earlier Ruth Roots smoking cigarettes.

"Yeah, so? I'm a painting of corn. Wanna make something of it???"

Jason's painting isn't laid-back like those chilling Roots though, this painting is wired and seriously offended, ready to jump off the wall and wring my neck with frustration, if only it could. Really, it reminds me of the hippos I used to tease into a frenzy when I worked at the zoo.

Jason is showing a second painting, called Sheriff.

My Jason Coates History, at a Glance:

3/23/2005 - a visit and some thoughts on the Jason Coates/Steven Little/Bruce Wilhelm show at ADA.
5/25/05 - Jason writes a Style Weekly article on my blog. I didn't know Jason at this point and had no idea it was coming out... it was insane to pick up Style and see this.
4/1/2006 - I crush Jason in the Monument Avenue 10K. Jason 54:16. Martin 49:13!
8/30/2006 - three of Jason's new paintings.
12/2006 - Jason and I trade paintings!!! I get this, he gets this. It was in the Markel Building show, the one Vic liked.
12/11/2006 - a visit to Jason's studio.


Mike Erickson's Angry Little Watering Can - another angry/funny piece with a lot of personality. I don't know Mike, except in passing...

Okay if you were going to put together a show of work that thinks it's alive, what/who would be included? This Mike Erickson, Jason's Corn, a Ruth Root smoker... what else? Oh, there is an artist included in The Believers, at Mass Moca - Theo Jansen. His stuff definitely.


Rachel Hayes - I don't know what this piece is called.

The Rachel Hayes anaba Reader, at a Glance:

1/18/2006 - Rachel Hayes at Sculpture Center. This is an impressive installation.
4/18/2006 - Rachel's killer show at ADA.
4/30/2006 - yet another very good piece.
5/15/2006 - boy performance artist slash ladykiller The Fartist under Rachel's Pulse piece.
5/21/2006 - VMFA curator John Ravenal under Rachel's Pulse piece.
11/21/2006 - Jerry Saltz admiring Rachel's Art Basel:Stuffy's contribution!!!

2006 was the year of Rachel Hayes on anaba, for sure.

What else did I like? Eric Sall (Rachel's husband, shows at ATM) has a purple twilight majesty, with bunting. That one is pretty good. I guess those were my favorites.

One of the artists in the show, Jared Lindsay Clark, has posted a bunch more exhibition photos.