There seems to be a scandal a brewin’ on the Dallas art scene! I have no interest in getting to the bottom of it, but in the mean time I’ll probably follow it as intently as I did Brit Brit’s “rough patch”. I actually stumbled upon it by complete accident as I was browsing exhibits in Dallas that I might want to check out, and came across an event posting for Eric Trich’s “omg!” exhibit currently on display at the Cathedral of Hope. What caught my attention you ask? Simeen Ishaque, a Richland College art professor, had this to say about Trich and his work: “He could be another Basquiat in the making.”

PAUSE

To get straight to the point, and to not give this any more attention than it deserves, Eric Trich is a 20 year old Dallas artist who is currently attending SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts. So what’s the big deal? Well, Mr. Trich and his mentor Siros have been drumming up lots of hype by creating what is quickly proving to be a fake list of international collector’s that are vying for, and currently own, Trich’s art collections. This Starbuck’s employee, turned overnight artist along with everyone else involved is apparently having a ball creating the “art star fantasy”, as Trich “omg!” is his first solo exhibit and he only has a few others on his resume including an exhibit at Richland Community college (where he was a student before transferring to SMU), a branch library, and now a church.

Full detailed articles can be found at the Park Cities People website as well as Titus O., but from the sheer lack of information available (finding any information about him at all was a chore, and there is no information at all about said art collectors), Trich’s amateur status, and lackluster art that I’ve seen posted on the web…I have reached a conclusion, and I definitely smell a rat!

I will certianly stop by his current exhibit since staying on top of industry news is kind of my job, but don’t expect to see much more free publicity for such ridiculous shenanigans. This type of activity makes a total mockery of the art industry, and I choose to only support artists and art enthusiasts actively working to build a sound, ethical community.

Sidebar: If he’s really selling ALL of his artwork at 4-5 figure prices, wouldn’t you think he’d employ a graphic designer to whip up a more appealing event flyer sans the skull cane? I’m just sayin…