OWNER'S NAME: Herbert Hoover & Koren Gaines
LOCATION: New York, New York
EGGPLANT QUOTE: you'll shoot your eye out
COMMENTS: In 2007, I received an eggplant owner's gallery submission from New York artist, Herbert Hoover, who had purchased it from the Art*o*mat machine at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (Herb's also an Arto*artist who makes art for Art*o*mat). See that post here. Indeed, an eggplant had brought us together.
At that time, we decided to do an art swap. I made him a custom eggplant that says "pewter junk food," a description of his American Snack Food Icon sculptures (visit his amazing on-line shop at www.potus31.com). In exchange, he sent me one of his celebrated pewter crackers. See the post about the swap here.
In November 2009, William and I visited New York City and arranged a meeting with Herb and his wife, Koren. We had a wonderful visit at a diner in Manhattan. He brought us one of his brand new items: a pewter lolly pop, which I'm holding in the photo by William below. They also brought the pewter junk food eggplant along for the photo op.
When we returned home, I sent them one of my limited edition eggplant Christmas ornaments with the quote "you'll shoot your eye out," because I know Herb to be a movie buff and this comes from the movie "A Christmas Story." To my surprise, not only did they get the reference, they had their very own leg lamp! So in the photo at the top of this post, you can see the ornament with the lamp—a true Christmas Story installation.
We do so love it when eggplants allow us to meet cool people like Herb and Koren. May the eggplants continue to fill our world with fabulous folks!
