By Amy Zurcher
Amores Perros (Love’s a Bitch)! Ain’t it the truth…whether you are referencing that head-bangin’ Quiet Riot song from the 80s or something more high brow like the neorealist Mexican film known as the “Mexican Pulp Fiction”—OR—let’s just say these are the very words you shout drunkenly in the streets after a relationship goes awry—you know, the ones when you lay your heart bare, vulnerable to the one you love, only to have it trampled by a pack of metaphorical dogs—perros. Oh, Amores Perros! Well, my friend, I assure you nothing—and I do mean nothing can console your heartsick pangs like man’s best friend, the beloved dog. With this in mind, let me introduce you to a piece that inspired me this week: a large scale graphite-on-paper framed drawing that stands over eight feet tall (yes, really). This, my friends, is Amores Perros. Artist Jonathan Yoerger expresses an in-your-face extravagant voluptuousness in this drawing, literally portrayed in “hindsight” – (get it? Hind sight?) — with a voluminous striped behind. Okay, not my best pun, but stay with me. Past the initial obviousness, I’m pulled into looking deeper and am struck by the protective embrace this mysterious creature seems to have on our furry friend, who seems to be returning the same protective embrace to his owner. A dog leg hangs gingerly down the side of this curvaceous being, tempting my curious eye to follow upwards through the shadows to reveal a sweet nose you are most certain is cold and wet and belonging to one of the most loyal friends one could ever ask for. At least that is my hope for this cryptic creature with the big, striped booty…a faithful, protective friend to replace the warmth of the missing lover who can never be substituted…until the next love comes along.
Artist: Jonathan Yoerger
Title: Amores Perros
Medium: Graphite on Paper
Size: 91″ X 51″ framed
($1600) available at shopSCAD
