I haven’t painted for 10 years, so picking up a paintbrush was something of a novelty the other day. Been stuck in bed with Tonsillitis, so what better way to pass the time than do something i don’t ordinarily do?
Think I’m in dire need of refining my style in this medium.. but for now, here is one of my warm-up practice sessions. It is Rick.. in Gagnef – ‘backstage’ at the beautiful festival in the countryside of Sweden, warming up before the gig..
Met this guy recently who is VED from Malmo, and discovered one more reason to be going up north to Gagnef, Sweden to the Skankaloss Festival aka “The Birthday Party”. Not only one of the most beautiful places- held in a Folk Park, or ‘People’s Park’, secluded by trees with the river Dalalven running through it; but some of the most clued up and nicest people organize it. They know how to keep those positive vibrations vibrating..
Did a poster for this party (tonight!) which I am really excited about.
Saw Rocketnumbernine play a few months ago and was blown away by their Krauty tribal rhythms and elevating electronic journey into the abyss, in disbelief that more of the public have not yet discovered them.
http://www.myspace.com/rocketnumbernine
Also really been enjoying the VOTST shows lately (they are at their most powerful, heavy and psychedelic so far!), and with the knowledge that their time together is limited as a one album project, I encourage all of you out there who have missed them to try and catch them when you have the opportunity!
I have been obsessed with pictures of the Dust Bowl era (also known as ‘the Dirty Thirties’) during the Great Depression, ever since I read musician Woody Guthrie‘s autobiography “Bound for Glory” and listened over and over again to his album Dust Bowl Ballads, admiring his political slogan-scrawled geetar’ which boldly stated: “this machine kills fascists”.
For those who aren’t familiar with Woody Guthrie: he was a musical hero, clearly, a figurehead in the folk movement and influencing the likes of Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot. But throughout his life he was a victim of much hardship, misfortune and torment.
My curiosity of the Dust Bowl soon led me to discover many of my favorite images, especially those of Dorothea Lange,
who was one of the many artists realised, as a result of the documentation of this stretch of misfortune and economic crisis intensified by this natural disaster catastrophe.
Onward continues my romantic obsession with the beauty and darkness of these Black Blizzards
this time and place on the earth, unfolding into the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma.. a dark and twisted tale of despair and depression. There is something hugely magnetic about all those old, haunting images.. capturing a sort of post-apocalyptic quality and serenity in destruction which I feel I am hunting for when I look for beauty.
I find myself, over the years, never failing to gather inspiration from them, going back to them.. over and over again..
