Perfectly Vicious Love By VICTOR FORBES EDDIE REHM INSTALLATION AT CIRCA SOMETHING GALLERY, BELLPORT, NY
“Who in the devil is Stevie Ray?”
In those seven little words. Albert King proposes the Twainian query of a lifetime. We will now appropriate that phrase (if Dylan can, so can we),just like Stevie Ray Vaugn lifted those manly bends from his hero Mr. King — the legendary, incendiary Master of the Flying V as seen by millions on Canadian National Television’s “In Session” series and available on DVD and the youtube here. So the question now is: “Who in the devil is Fast Eddie Rehm?” Fast Eddie is a plumber, by trade, an artist by choice. Gifted with talent in both fields, Fast Eddie responded by creating his first bona fide masterpiece, “InSTALLation.” Using the tools of his trades, from sawz-all to Sharpies on materials that would have added to the already-over-flowing landfills of his beloved South Shore of Long Island, Eddie rescues toilets, plungers, various lengths of pipe and brings in collage,penmanship, private iconography, digital prints and even a little philosophic graffiti. As in his born-to-die message, the clock is ticking, listen to Stevie and Jimmy: “Tick Tock.” Time is slipping away. So Eddie has created a legitimate work for the ages and he is just about 30 years on the planet. Stevie was about the same age at his coming out party on that television show. Stepping up with Albert, making him laugh, stop in awe at times when he played rhythm for him....Fast Eddie is there. He doesn’t have to go up, he doesn’t have to down. Ideas manifest from Fast Eddie – and we go back to the Stevie Ray thang, because he merits your attention if you
haven’t experienced his art form, or a re-visit from those who know his work. Clapton is on a tribute talking about him, and on a different segment BB King echoed his sentiments. “Stevie never runs out of ideas. The music just flows through him. He never has to stop to think of what he is going to do next or worry about repeating himself. I can’t do that,” said BB. “Neither can I,” said Eric. So it is with Fast Eddie Rehm. I haven’t watched him in action but I know enough about plumbing to know you get dirty and sometimes have to deal with drek on a few levels. In his work, Fast Eddie offers a fingah to the establishment, whether art or contractor, and with vigor drowns canvas after canvas with venom, rage, energy, color, abandon and affection that somehow work as singular, coherent artistic statements. As a collective, they run together, a concert set-list. It is like Stevie playing “Texas Flood.” In some hands it’s a blues song, yes, but coming out of Stevie, the music is unearthly. “Channeled.” Fine Art Magazine • December 2012 • 31
Photo By Jamie Ellin Forbes, Fine Art Magazine
EDDIE REHM