Hostess stand’s ‘weird’ horse art is whisked away — again
That ‘weird’ piece of $1200 horse art that caught your attention before dinner is quickly becoming downtown's newest status symbol.
When Standard Fare placed a painting of a deranged-looking horse next to the hostess stand before opening Aug. 15, it was considered a bold move by some. Instead, the decision has turned out to be more like putting a spotlight on the town’s newest status symbol. The new Phila Street hotspot is officially on its third painting there in under three months, having sold its first two for $1200 each.
The third — which was hung Saturday — is for sale for $2000.
“I didn’t know if the concept of ‘horse drawn poorly’ was a bit too weird for the Saratoga Springs crowd,” says Daniel Fairley, brother-in-law of the restaurant’s co-owner Zac Denham and the sole artist for the restaurant. “But I am incredibly happy to have met art lovers who probably grew up on PeeWee’s Playhouse as I did and have the same tastes for ‘weird.’”
The horse paintings — 24” x 36” acrylic and ink on canvas — are about as far from a standard piece of Saratoga artwork as you can get, displaying a clever irreverence that is resonating with curious diners. The series is called “Thad’s Picks,” after Fairley’s father-in-law — Denham’s dad — who has gained a reputation for his terrible horse betting.
“Thad’s picks are not the ultra-competitive, well trained, high velocity sprinters,” Fairley says. “They are taking in the scenery and going at their own pace. They stick their tongue out behind them even though no one’s there. They are here for the vibes.”
Now that the coveted spot has proven so popular, Fairley now keeps ideas at the ready. But he didn’t need them for the newest hostess stand star.
“I keep a few in my back pocket for composition, but it just so happened that the weekend the painting sold coincided with my father-in-law Thad’s birthday,” he says. “Since he was the original inspiration for the first piece, I shared that the first two horse paintings sold. He was quick to respond with ‘I told you they were winners.’ The third piece in the series is titled Paint Me Like One of Thad’s Picks and features a horse tastefully modeling on the couch ready to be immortalized on canvas.”
A downtown couple who live just a few blocks away picked up Thad’s Pick (Again), with the wife being the one on-hand this weekend for the ceremonial swapping out.
“I let her take a peek at the newest horse,” Fairley says. “She asked for a photo so she could send it to the friend who lost out on the first one, so it might not be there for long…
For more of his work or to commission a piece, visit poemdexter.com.
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Artist’s unique take on horse art lands first major Saratoga sale