Colby Bird explained (kind of)

Many people ask me to explain my brother's art. Usually I try to give them an idea as I understand it, but then generally stop as I envision Colby listening and getting quietly frustrated. The gallery in NYC representing Colby has a small blurb on his art in general, but doesn't help for specific pieces. Now, lucky for all you that have asked me, the gallery has published a small publication (scroll down for download), which includes an essay by João Ribas, whom (who? eric?) I ignorantly presume is some big-shot in the art world. Anyway, there are specific pieces referenced there, including a few that were in his show last year that I made it to.

Be warned, in contrast to what you read here, it includes big sentences with big words, like

It is this confounding mixture of individualized capitalist aspiration, ersatz opulence, perceived authenticity, and the obsession with consumptive iconography that gives the work of Colby Bird its distinct resonance.

I don't even know if I've heard the word "ersatz" before. At least in English. In German I know it most familiarly from "Ersatzverkehr". Which often means you gotta ride the bus cause the tram is broken. I guess like "replacement transport".