The Emotional Show

Eri King
quotidian lovesick blues (kakemono), 2022
polyester, acrylic, cotton, glitter, silk, felt, satin, rubber, artificial food, single-use plastics, duster, wind chimes, vinyl coated bungee cord, curtain rod, thread

Eri King’s artworks often comment on pop culture and the strangeness of everyday life in America, but this work was created in memory of her grandmother. It is made in the shape of a kakemono—a Japanese hanging scroll traditionally used to display art—and it incorporates lyrics from “Crazy,” a song written in 1958 by Willie Nelson and popularized by Patsy Cline. King highlights the words “crazy for trying” because “my grandma always emphasized this particular line when she sang this song to me, and it ran through me like a mantra. She was dealing with bad memory loss caused by the onset of dementia but could always return to this song when we'd sing it on our long-distance calls. This piece is about love, and despite the underlying meaning of the song's theme of romantic love and heartbreak, I've been exploring love songs beyond romance. … This work was deeply personal and cathartic.”
(DKS)