If you don’t like artist Eric Fischl’s work, you might get a personal call. Isabel Barnard-Biderman — who owned a gallery on Madison Avenue in the 1990s — was overheard saying she didn’t care for Fischl’s new sculptures and paintings at Art Southampton last weekend. “I went home and the phone rings and it’s Eric saying, ‘What do you mean you don’t like my paintings?’ ” the gobsmacked gallerist told us. “I don’t really know him. He said, ‘Maybe when you come back you’re going to like them.’ ” (It turned out she had earlier left her phone number at a gallery because she wanted Fischl to sign a copy of his book “Bad Boy.”) She says that after his call, she went back for another look, and “They grew on me.” Despite her amusing anecdote, looks like the gallerist was pranked. Fischel told us, “I have never met this woman and did not call her. Somebody must have pranked her.” He has kindly offered to sign her book.
Artist Eric Fischl calls woman who didn’t like his paintings
