Child's Play

Since my past occupation focused on caring for young children it goes without saying that media censorship played a large role in my day to day tasks. The internet, computer games, TV, movies and even song lyrics all had to be surveyed with a very keen eye lest the ears of a young one pick up on something untoward and repeat it loudly and proudly to all the guests at your next dinner party. Artists such as Rhianna, Ke$ha and even America's golden girl Katy Perry have all let slip with some racy content at some stage, and if a film is not of the cartoon or Harry Potter variety then it simply doesn't get a look in. But are we sure sheltering the little darlings from such things is going to keep them eternally pure of mind and heart, or is depriving them merely going to exacerbate the problem in the long run?

Though I despise musicals and the film was released 4 years before I graced this Earth, my favorite movie as a child was the Rocky Horror Picture Show. And when I say child I don't refer to the heady days of my adolescent youth but the days of riding my bike only on my block and not taking candy from strangers - around 7 years old. So liberal were my slightly hippie arts loving parents they thought a macabre musical about a cross-dressing transvestite scientist from Transsexual, Transylvania kidnapping a newly engaged couple on a cold rainy night and forcing them to take part in various semi-clothed violent escapades to awaken his sub-human half-naked creation Rocky was mere entertainment fodder for a 7 year old. Throw in a sexually engaged sister and brother, a Neo-Gothic castle-come-spaceship, a cameo by Meatloaf in which he receives an ice pick to the head, a sumptuous feast at which the diners are served none other than the aforementioned 'Meatloaf' and a few PG rated sex scene's and you have yourself a light-hearted Sunday afternoon romp in front of the TV. The costumes were skimpy, the show-tunes filled with double-entendre and tawdry delight and the storyline an epic drift into the imaginary - the likes of which would never be seen or accepted in this current day and age (not by the mainstream anyway). I found Tim Curry hypnotizing, the musical numbers energetic and catchy, and the wonderfully bizarre characters enchanting. I watched it so often I knew the lyrics and dance moves to all the songs and can even remember singing into my hairbrush in front of the TV on numerous occasions (how very cliche…).

And yet, even though I was subjected to such lurid depravity at such a young age I never felt the urge to run off and become a transvestite, a vampire or a mad scientist that lobotomizes peoples brains for the sake of discovering '…the secret to life itself' - as Dr Frank-N-Furter put it. But let's face it, with the pure drivel that passes as entertainment these days kids do not have much to aspire to when it comes to forms of replication or rebellion. The only vampire we see at present hails not from Transylvania but from England, and spends his time courting American teenage girls while running from Werewolves, who are no doubt chasing him to stop him from spouting that god-awful fake American accent. And a Saturday morning in front of the TV or an afternoon at the pictures is at best going to produce a scantily clad troupe of female formation dancers wearing way too much make up and singing off key about a love they've never experienced and sex they've never had, or at worst an almost-but-not-quite Gothic team of cloak-donned spectacle-wearing teenagers painting fake scars on their foreheads with eye liner they've stolen from their Mother and pointing sticks at the sky trying to summon 'he who cannot be named' to exact vengeance on anyone over the age of 16. Heaven help us if they ever turn to MTV, in which case we'd have an infestation of 'meatballs' and 'Guido's' roaming the city in spandex mini skirts, stiletto heels and button-down shirts that are nowhere near buttoned down declaring it's party time on every corner and sucking face to the point of swallowing each other heads. This would no doubt be followed by a severe plague of deaths due to hair gel poisoning and hair extension inhalation.

But if we stopped to step back and look at the bigger picture we'd come to realize that children are as fickle as they are impressionable. Any given fad lasts for 3 to 6 months tops and then they are on to the next big thing. It often seems it's the parents who get carried away a lot more than the kids, and we all know that kids like to do whatever their parents dislike. By being allowed to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show at such a young age I like to believe I turned out a rather well-balanced human being who is accepting of all creatures great and small no matter what their persuasion, and who's appreciation of musicals and the arts on a whole is so refined that no Broadway production or show-tune filled Hollywood claptrap has ever held a candle to the film since. Of course certain subjects are off limits to the younger generation and I'd like to think that these are easy to spot, but often when a harmless yet taboo subject is brought out in the open and treated in a light-hearted manner a child can learn a lot more about life and be much better off for it than if said subject was constantly ignored or tip-toed around. The sooner children are respected and treated like adults the sooner they will come to act like an adult. And you should never underestimate the perceptiveness of children, as they can always see right through you.

Set The Bar High

As I approached the venue the competition revealed itself. Before me stood an eclectic queue stretching 2 blocks long consisting of goths, punks, barbies, jocks - any stereotype you can think of, they were there. Open calls are always cut throat so you definitely need to stand out from the crowd. Which is why it was so amusing that almost no one I was looking at did so. What amused me even further was that this queue of hopefuls were not lining up for anything as illustrious as a TV bit but in fact a Lower East Side bar job.

I have been a bar tender all my life, all over the globe and almost always in live music venues or cocktail bars. I started at the age of 18 and am now a sophisticated 33 so that's a lot of range and experience under one's belt. Yet in the fine city of New York none of this seems to matter. I had been told by bar tending buddies it was a cut-throat world but never quite understood the gravity of the situation. Bar tending has always been my first port of call upon entering a new city and has never let me down, until now.

The American tipping culture is an obvious factor as to why this servial position is so revered. On a good night in a busy bar a drinksmith can make anything from $50-500 in tips alone, making it one hell of a nice little earner. Couple that with the fact New York has some of the worlds most exciting bars and music venues and you have yourself one sought-after employment market, regardless of how many thousands of bars there are.

Of course you could rock up to your neighborhood local and pour pints there but those of us who are musically inclined tend to drift toward the local venues which was an idea myself and half of New York's bar staff had that very day. The Electric Ballroom has a good reputation with bands and punters alike and is open every night meaning work would be plentiful. This of course gives them the upper hand, which leads to the advert posted on Craig's List simply asking people turn up between this time and that time and 'wear what you would usually wear to work in a bar'.

But the final nail in the coffin was their exiting requirement 'NYC bar tending experience a must'. Alas, this is the one thing I don't have. I'm fast, accurate, friendly, fun, honest, well-endowed in the chest area and can mix anything from a gin and tonic to a Long Island Iced Tea, but none of this had taken place in this fair city. Which begs the question, what makes serving New York crowds so different? Are they more particular? More demanding? Do they have a higher standard or ask for intricate drinks? I can safely say that on a night out in the Lower East Side your regular patron is less than picky and often doesn't care what they are downing as long as it's happy hourly priced and free-poured to the rim. And as far as a music venue crowd is concerned, well, they hardly pay a cover for a good cocktail do they.

I'm hoping to somehow blag my way into this inner-sanctum of booze peddling and cocktail shaking sometime in the near future, but until then you'll catch me on the other side - ordering meticulous and unheard of concoctions that may or may not deem my peers worthy of a giant tip.

Matthew Gillet's Art Kills Monsters!!!

After a work incident led to him being diagnosed with depression and anxiety, Australian artist Matthew Gillett quit his job, packed up his life and moved to Indonesia to embark on an 11-month odyssey - creating pieces for a 14-piece art exhibition. Set to tour Australia in 2012, My Art Kills Monsters is a collision of art, photography and music - designed to raise money for mental health.

This is his story.

http://vimeo.com/41692738

For more information:
myartkillsmonsters.wordpress.com
nathansbequest.com

A film by Hamish Siddins

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Music by:
Mavens
mavensband.com
Underlights
myspace.com/underlightsband

Light versus Dark (for Shakefist Magazine)

See the original article HERE.

New York-based artist Bill Norrby features such glowing luminosity in his works it's almost an oxymoron his latest exhibition should be held in a dimly-lit Gothic gallery on the edge of Chelsea. However upon perusing the subject matter of his painted prose it's seemed only fitting that last weekends viewing was held at the Last Rites Gallery.

A former worker bee for the video game industry Norrby has since turned his hand to painting, graduating from the New York School of Visual Arts in 2010. The result is a talented new artist forming a cohesion of classical brushstrokes and modern day defiance and upheaval. His latest exhibition The Fury is an impressive collection of works presenting the plight and struggle of every day man set against an old world, almost mythical backdrop. These fighters for the future are depicted in an almost angelic state with Norrby's ever-present and immaculate use of light. Each painting appears to have an inner glow despite the macabre nature of it's subject. Smoking cities in ruins, dark enchanted forests, wartime and apocalyptic mob scenes adorn his canvas' joined by gas-mask clad protagonists shining through the terrors, displaying a luminous, almost ethereal glow - all done with the stroke of brush. Such dark moments painted in such beaming light makes for a definite feast for the eyes.

The Last Rites Gallery played the perfect host with it's dim red lighting, black walls and church-like facade, with soundtrack provided by a eerie, brooding live violinist. Bill Norrby's work combines futuristic subject matter with a classical artistic style, and his use of light is simply outstanding. His paintings take you to confronting and unfamiliar worlds, and I look forward to further explorations from this up-and-coming artist.

'The Undermining Satanic Energies Of An Incongruent Suburban Sickness', and so on... (for Shakefist Magazine)

See the original article HERE.

With a title like 'The Undermining Satanic Energies Of An Incongruent Suburban Sickness' it was fairly clear this exhibition was going to be an interesting one. Californian artist Skinner is now in residence at Brooklyn's Cotton Candy Machine and his is an awesome presence. His use of vibrant and vivid colors take you on a spaced-out trip through the abstract, cartoon and pop-art sectors of the art world and Skinner is the perfect tour guide.

Originally a teacher Skinner left the classroom to concentrate on his artistic endeavors and the result has been an eclectic mix of prints, murals and custom made toys, all of which were on display in Brooklyn on Friday. Upon entering Cotton Candy Machine you were handed your very own pair of 3D glasses with which to view his incredible 3D alien mural painted on the stores right wall. The mural created the perfect backdrop for his paintings, mainly consisting of neon-colored teeth-nashing hideously deformed creatures, freakishly beautiful in all their colorful glory.

Particularly eye catching were his hand-crafted monster masks - a collection of evil-eyed, sharp-teethed and pointy-horned characters that looked oh so menacing and would be perfect for scaring off trick or treater's on any Halloween. His latest book 'Every Man Is My Enemy' was also flying out the door, this being the first East Coast signing event for the release. He has an amazing and truly inventive take on pop-art very well presented in his books, including previous title 'The Butcher Kings'. Characters such as Scumby, Biggiefoot, The Funisher and Wu-Tang Clown leap off the pages and into your worst nightmares while definitely stopping by to tickle your funny bone.

Skinner takes images of deformed and scary creatures and makes them beautiful with his penchant for bright colors, his awesome imagination and ever present attention to detail. If bringing kitsch science-fiction based pop-art to the masses is his game then he is definitely winning. His character creations are fun, full of life and even a little bit creepy. So venture forth to Brooklyn if you dare - just don't walk home alone afterwards...

From the Barrio to Soho: Mexicali Rose art exhibition (for Shakefist Magazine)

See the original article HERE.

The Artists Space bought the sights and sounds of the barrio to New York's Soho this weekend as they presented an amazing array of art, photography and audiovisuals from South of the border. Radical Localism: Art, Video and Culture from Pueblo Nuevo's Mexicali Rose featured artistic endeavors from those involved in a project named Mexicali Rose - a self-professed 'grass roots communitarian organization' founded to provide readily available and free access to all areas of artistic media for the youth of Mexicali, a small town in Baja California hovering just across the US border.

The idea - founded by Mexicali-born filmmaker Marco Vera in 2007 - is a great one, and the artworks on display were a testament to the project and it's success. Covering a blanket of mediums including photography, murals, paintings and short films the exhibition transported you to Mexico, the barrios and beyond. Art lovers sipped on Coronas whilst surveying the works of Pablo Castaneda, Carlos Coronado and Julio Torres, photographs by Rafael Veytia and Odette Barajas and Zeta journalist Sergio Haro, and an original mural created by Fernando Corona.

Castaneda's works portrayed great female beauty and vulnerability in shades of black and white, painted with such care and detail some appeared as if they were photographs. Julio Torres explored the lighter and more inebriated side of barrio life with his candid public transport and house party shots, as well as the comedic 'Resultados de la Busqueda: Borrachos Besandose' ('Drunks Kissing'). Jose Miguel Salcido depicted the often grittier day-to-day life of the barrios with his photographs, present in works such as 'Policias Corruptos' ('Corrupt Police'). And the colorful murals done by Fernando Corona were the perfect backdrop for such intriguing and eye-catching pieces.

Mexicali Rose showed a side of Mexico that some might never see. The project gives youths the chance to express themselves and reflect their environment creatively and positively while giving the rest of the world insight into their culture, political climates and creativity. An all round success and a delight for all the senses Radical Localism is definitely worth a look in. The Artists Space is located on the 3rd floor at 38 Greene Street. Soho - for more details visit http://artistsspace.org/

Greenpoint Gallery Review (for Shakefist Magazine)

See original article HERE.

Through an unassuming metal door on a back alley beneath an overpass lies a wondrous world. A world where you can drink. A world where you can smoke. A world where you can get your creative fix be it visual or aural. This is the world of the Greenpoint Gallery.

An art space and venue for hire the Greenpoint Gallery was set up in 2005 by Shawn James to 'facilitate creativity in all disciplines by providing the perfect solution for NYC artists seeking an affordable and flexible performance/exhibition space in which to fulfill their visions'. And that's exactly what it did this Friday night as it hosted Shawn & Ted's Excellent Art Adventure - a 5 hour fun-fest of music, art and all the good stuff in between. There were paintings, there were sculptures, there were bands, there were dogs, there were birds - everything was possible.

The 2 story space is a wonder to behold as far as exhibition spaces go, the lower floor consisting of a small stage shrouded in greenery (and said bird, somewhere…) with an Aztec-themed lounge area and works on display by none other than curator himself Shawn James. His style is macabre yet kaleidescopic, combining the strong human form with equally strong slashes of color and light. He captures the pain and intensity of man well, without presenting it as such.

Moving upstairs we were treated to a simple but fulfilling bar area (complete with aforementioned dog) and another small stage, this time almost too well lit due to the artworks on display. Ted Stanke was the main feature, taking over the space with his life-size metallic sculptures and ode's to popular culture. Most impressive were the 1 Billion Cent Piece - a large mock sculpture of a penny made of pennies, Long Live Steve Jobs - a collusion of metal pieces and coins brought together to form a human heart, all placed within the confines of an old Apple Mac screen, and my favorite, The American Dream - a small sculpture of a toilet made of Matchbox cars. His works were daring yet tongue-in-cheek, and extremely well crafted considering the innovative materials he had chosen.

All this was set amongst a backdrop of about 10 local musical acts who suited the event well. The stand out was Colorform, a simple act featuring a female singer with band including an excellent cellist, who sang catchy songs whilst a friend of their's created a piece from scratch in front of the stage using pastels. A creative and inventive idea that suited the event to a tee.

Greenpoint Gallery put on a great night that not only highlighted the artistic side of the gallery but the musical side as well, perfectly capturing their diversity as a venue. A great space featuring great works that are well worth a look in.