[ From the private collection of Hot Monkey ]

{ This is not the wall it's going on but that's me holding it up. Photo by Erin. }

I am finally the proud owner of an Erin Sharpe original painting.
It's huge. 60" x 72". Getting it from her studio to my apartment was tricky. It couldn't fit on a subway, bus or cab van. So we had to walk it to my place. At least it was just 20 blocks straight up 3rd Avenue. It was windy. Poor Erin was holding the back end and the wind gust was fish tailing her. But once we got it in and tried it on several walls, we found the perfect spot. It was as if this wall was shaped for her painting.
A beautiful example of the abstract / figurative style. She was inspired by the regimented rows of mannequins in the storefront windows of Rem Koolhaas designed Prada store in SOHO and Rem's manifesto, JUNKSPACE. An army of Erins, it was also the spot in the city where we would often meet. An important turning point in her career and probably for her, the best thing about 2005. She'll need to borrow it occasionally for her gallery shows. But on one condition. It'll now have to be displayed with this caption:

Erin P. Sharpe
Prada Army, 2005. Oil on canvas, 60" x 72".
On kind loan from the private collection of H3nry S3n3 Y33 / Hot Monkey.

Thanks Erin, I love it so much.