Contributed by Sharon Butler / Robert Yoder’s new collages and paintings combined with found papers have a downbeat quality inspired by the sadcore music he’s been listening to lately. The title of his exhibition at Frosch & Portmann, “Beautiful William,” is from a song by the The Handsome Family about a man who goes missing under mysterious circumstances. The texture of Yoder’s gorgeous small strangely delicate. Upon close inspection, sexual and personal details (which are impossible to see in my images of the work) like phalluses, scars, and bruises emerge, creating an air of gloomy libido. And all the found papers have a story, too.
NOTE: If you’re at the fairs in Miami in December, check out SEASON, a gallery Yoder started last year in Seattle. He’ll be showing a couple of my small paintings in his installation at the Aqua Fair along with work by some other really good artists.
“Robert Yoder: Beautiful William,” Frosch & Portmann, New York, NY. Through December 23, 2011.
About the author: Sharon Butler is a painter and the publisher of Two Coats of Paint.
Roberts works are extraordinary. It is evident on his ideas and craftsmanship. Indeed the man is a genius. I'm a big fan of him.
Sadcore, hmmm. I can still see glimpses of hope in the work. Thanks for the post.
I really like the look of these – the placement of the scraps of paper beneath the canvases creates an intriguing interrelationship.