The undervalued painter ERIC FISCHL will give a lecture “How Painting Died” at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn on December 3. The Legman would be there in a heartbeat but… we’ve got an “End of Prohibition” party to hit in the Hollywood Hills and being in LA, party wins over culture. But we do need eyes and ears at the event so do go in our stead; ask the man about his role in killing off painting. Specifically, how does he reconcile his role in art history what with Van Gogh living off brother Theo’s handouts and dying for his art while Fischl’s dispassionate , sketchy and indifferent paintings go for MILLIONS OF FREAKIN DOLLARS?

This from the release:

In 1881, Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear. This act of self-mutilation was not considered art. Van Gogh’s a self-portrait with a bandaged ear is considered art. In 1971 artist Chris Burden had himself shot in the arm. His performance of self-mutilation was considered art. The photo documentation about it is not considered art. How did this transformation happen in nearly 100 years of avant-garde thinking?

Eric Fischl has had numerous solo and group exhibitions. His paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints are represented in many public and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Whitney Museum of American Art; The Museum of Modern Art, N.Y.; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Louisiana Museum of Art, Denmark; and Muse Beaubourg, Paris. Fischl is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009 / RSVP REQUIRED LECTURE AND DISCUSSION, 6PM The Pratt Institute, Memorial Hall, Brooklyn Campus 200 Willoughby Avenue Reception to follow in the Pratt Gallery Café

ADMISSION IS FREE, TO RSVP, PLEASE EMAIL EVENTS@PRATT.EDU BY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30