one million famous painters

Eric Fischl came to my studio

How did we get such an eighties superstar to condescend to Richmond?
Tennis lessons at the Hamptons.

VCU didn't help ease the awkwardness of his star power either, everything had to be extra special for Eric Fischl. Although he despised this special treatment, Richard Roth (department chair) was forced to interrupt my studio visit. I don't know if Eric is as embarrassed as I know Richard was to ask him to sign this book for another faculty member.

Mr. Fischl was unanimously judged an awkward studio visitor, beginning visits with silent browsing of your work. But after finally breaking the ice he hit the ground with a critique without the obligatory pleasantries.

Then came the browsing of the cassette collection.

I will be mixing a tape with the following requests:
"End it with Dylan"
"Begin with Cyndi Lauper"
Neil Diamond
K.D. Lang
Annie Lennox
"throw in a Roy Orbison"
"howbout a Cowboy Junkie"
Robert Palmer
Blues Traveler
Cat Stevens

Possesing a fame so attached to the eighties I realized I had expected hit eighties requests from Eric, but secretly hoping he would surprise me with a love of Weird Al or something.