Minimalist Wood Etchings of Mitch Hedberg Jokes

Sometimes, there are just those works of art, films, books, and records that are just an embarrassment of riches, and simply contain everything you love. For me, this series of Mitch Hedberg quotes, burned into plywood with minimalist illustrations and great typography is about as good as it gets.

     
The pieces were created for the second year of “Is This Thing On?” a comedy-themed art show at Gallery1988 in Los Angeles. They’re the work of artist Kiersten Essenpreis, who pays homage to the late minimalist comic with an equally minimalist visual approach. She says,

Mitch suffered from almost paralyzing stage fright and often wore sunglasses while on stage, so he could close his eyes while speaking.  I thought about this a lot while sketching up ideas for my piece, and decided that a straight-forward portrait of Mitch would not suit him.  To me, his words are really what he’d most likely prefer to be remembered for, so I tested out a new technique and created 8 small, wood etchings of my favorite quotes.  All wood panels are sealed in resin.

Excellent work, Kiersten. And so long, Mitch. Thanks for the funny.

Minimalist Wood Etchings of Mitch Hedberg Quotes