Commetary by Eric Kroll

I've had two retrospective exhibitions in my life. One was at the Neikrug Gallery NYC 1990. After the gallery reception there was a party for 200 guests at a nearby townhouse. At a designated moment, a performance occurred that included Annie Sprinkle giving a "tit ballet" and Jennifer Blowdryer reading her poetry. An aria was sung and a fat fight occurred.

Flash forward to November 6, 2003 at the Shooting Gallery San Francisco where 300 framed pieces of mine hung. In front of a large room full of people at 9 pm exactly, Jun, my friend and owner of the bookstore Foto-Grafix Books stepped to the balcony of the gallery and did a short- brillant- jazz riff on his flute. As he was finishing, the most beautiful Shannon Ewing, a lyric/coloratura, stepped towards me and grabbing gently, but firmly, my sleeve, sang the aria Vedrai Carino from Mozart's Don Giovanni. Afterwards I walked to a microphone that was dropped from above and I began a "thank you" list. As I spoke, a cd we had made, was played. It was the sound of one of my model's twanging on the rubber band attached to her braces in her mouth mixed with bongos,guitar and other synethized instruments. As I moved through my list (attached below) I got to the name Jeremy M F Thompson. As I spoke his name, a tall blonde in rubber, marched through the crowd and began to yank the clothes off of another, nearby, tall blonde. As the two ladies cat fought, clothes went flying and high heeled legs got entangled until I stepped forward and announced that was in fact a fashion show and proceeded to introduce the designer, Alison Dietze of Madame S.
Then I was back at the microphone and explaining how important and wonderful my muse/girlfriend Felice was as I gave her a gift wrapped box. I expect many in the crowd thought it would be something sexual but it was, in fact, a food processor because she and I are just simple home-bodies making (I hope) interesting erotica.

Finally, I began to remove my clothes as a tall latter was brought out into the gallery and a dozen beautiful women, in unison, moved to the far wall. As I removed my father's woven necktie, I told the story of recently buying my daughter, Willa, a name brand bunch of clothes for her 15th birthday at an overpriced but very popular downtown store. As I was paying the over priced prices I noticed, at the point of sale area, a sexy catalogue/magazine the store had made and was selling. It was much more reasonably priced then the distressed clothes I was buying my daughter so I bought it. Naturally, some of the items I bought my daughter didn't fit properly so we went back to exchange them. As I sat waiting for my daughter to try on new items I picked up a copy of the magazine I had bought on my previous visit. Almost immediately an attractive saleslady came over and admonished me. "Sir, you can't read that magazine in our store". I was incredulous. "But you made the magazine and you sell the magazine in your store",I explained dumbfounded. "Yes but there are young people here and you can't read it because they might see it". Wow. By the time I finished my story I was naked and lying beneath the latter. As I lay staring up at the ceiling, a bevy of beautiful women paraded by to view my photos.

END OF PERFORMANCE

As I was dressing, a small folded brochure of drawings (drawings to follow)- of what had just occurred was handed out to the viewers.