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| Katelyn Eichwald, Images from the installation Cowboy Project, 2012 (ongoing). Mixed media on black wall, size varies. |
Katelyn Eichwald’s Cowboy Project is an installation
composed of over 600 (and counting) paintings, drawings, writings, objects, and
collages. At first, these small pieces together on a black wall construct the
myth of a man. Each piece functions as proof of his existence. Eichwald paints
his sister, his blanket, his ruptured spleen, show us his lunch receipt,
presents a photo of a mountain he climbed yesterday, but we are never sure of
his precise identity.
The inclusion of pieces such as an
exhibition postcard of Picasso with the text, “the cowboy calls him papa,” a used paper palette with text
“he painted a bird,” and another text piece made with a faded highlighter
“painting is like playing the guitar,” are examples of pieces that point to this man's relationship to painting. To me, however, the project refers not
only to this man’s relationship to painting but, more particularly, to the history
and myth of the male painter. By having these references, Eichwald reminds
viewers of how distant she is from this history.
The cowboy’s identity remains a mystery. But my guess is Mark Grotjahn.
To see more images of the Cowboy Project: www.katelyneichwald.com
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