ART OR IDIOCY?: Tad Lauritzen Wright

Sugar Coated • 2002 • acrylic & wax on canvas • 38 by 42 inches

David Lusk Gallery out of Memphis had work by Tad Lauritzen Wright. His work comes in three modes. The “Beautiful” series of drawings executed in a DuBuffet-style all-overness features Beautiful Commute, Beautiful Last Stand and the raunchy hilarious Beautiful M.I.L.F. all 2004. The next mode is pure text-based homage to the grid. Half crossword puzzle half Christopher Wool, pieces like Boy Scout, 2003, and Mr. Goodbar, both 2003, are witty and charming as well as aesthetically pleasing. With misplaced line breaks, Boy Scout reads:

While Mr. Goodbar’s borrowed personal ad copy reads:

Finally is Lauritzen Wright’s cartoony, narrative style that calls to mind the work of Kimberly Aubuchon. His overall strongest piece is done in this mode and features a group of unhappy cigarettes entitled Nobody Loves Me, 2004.