Need a similar article on cowboy "poetry."
See My Chapter on Eddie Bashas' Gallery
Richard Nilsen, The Arizona Republic October 31, 1987
Head 'em up, move 'em out
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LETTER TO THE AUTHOR OF THIS ARTICLE, RICHARD NILSON
Back to Quacks and Oddities
A PERSONAL AFTERWORD
I know I will seem unforgivably elitist, but believe me—a guy who likes Tarzan novels—if you doubt a single word of the article above, go see the Eddie Basha "art" gallery in Chandler. You have to see it yourself in person on site to realize just how well it confirms the above article's point. I loved Eddie, but he seems to have missed the epiphany that I had when I saw the gallery. Oh, he knew what would fit in this "museum." Each piece goes in the gallery well. But that's only because each piece is an equal glimpse of the monotony of all of the others.
I just drove over there. I was overwhelmed to see the amazing skill of people with a certain missing artistic muse. There were I think three painting styles that were used. The works seemed to be those of craft makers. Every painting was the same. Exactly the same. Some depicted historical events. It didn't matter. Many were apparently painted from photos and bright with pixel-perfect detail as though that were the goal of art and nothing else save the saccharine, vapid message. Every painting said the same thing and had exactly the same dreary staged look. The so-called sculpture did this as well. Each piece was so perfectly and neatly done that each had the look of your grandmother's living room furniture or grand dad's mustache grooming.
I had to leave early as I feared I would get cowpoke pellagra feasting my eyes on such mountains of corn.
Again, I sound so elitist, but I am no art critic and even I got a weird feeling from this apparent masquerade. It's just not art and even as craft it carries a glaring, insipid point of view.
MY COMPLETE REPORT ON THE GALLERY:
See My Chapter on Eddie Bashas' Gallery