Eric Yahnker, Bummed Bouquet #2, 2018, pastel on sandpaper, 56 x 73 in., 185 x 142 cm.

METAL Magazine
Eric Yahnker: America 2018: idiocracy turned tragic prophecy
By Sebastian T. Thorsted

A hopeful optimist, a previous journalist and a man who is making a living of hugely satirical drawings commenting on modern-day America as “the barbecued death spiral of our democracy”. Meet Eric Yahnker, an artist from Southern-California who is exhibiting his third solo show, titled Factory Reset, at The Hole in New York City from November 15 to December 23.

Let’s start off with the statement you made at London’s creativity festival Here in 2014: “(…) any piece of art is self-portraiture”. Seeing drawings of dildo candles, cactus-shaped sombreros and Gollum wearing the infamous Make America Great Again, some people would picture a rather confusing self-portrait in their head. How do you see yourself?

I see myself as an enormous dildo candle topped by a cactus-shaped sombrero. Actually, I think what I’m referring to in the quote is a little more Da Vincian: whatever motivates a work of art, from its surface to its depth, is indicative of the soul of an artist – if not equal to the artist’s own mirror reflection. In other words, if a given artwork is shitty, derivative, vapid, and juvenile, then likely, so too is the artist. I’ve often said that when someone walks into a show of mine, I want them to feel as though they’ve been swimming in my ball juice.

Of course, your artworks are much more than that. Seeing you talk about your art, it’s obvious that it has quite the resemblance to you as a person: lighthearted, witty yet very experienced and well-informed. But humor is clearly present in all of your drawings. Why?

Satire is often the clearest path toward truth. Labeling truth as comedy allows messages to be unfiltered and unredacted in a way our society has a hard time communicating. Even dictators will occasionally let their guard down for a laugh – then promptly execute the comedian.

Read the full interview here.