It's Sunday, why not?

....have a drink, maybe 20 and enjoy.

Sid Larson 1923 - 2009 R.I.P.

Sid was one of three people in my life that inspired me to be an artist, now with his passing all three are dead. Sid was my painting professor at Columbia College, he was also Thomas Hart Benton's assistant and friend; his influence was great on me, more so than I probably ever wanted to admit but never once did he restrict my style to favor his style (often seen in Art schools) or deter my search and exploration of Surrealism.

Think Local - Buy Local

Tuesday is the unofficial day for the 3/50 Project. It boils down to buying local as much as possible, from non-chain establishments. Their suggestion is spending $ 50 a month amongst 3 independently owned local stores, or more if possible. Support your local, independently owned restaurants, bars, 'record' stores (can you tell I am from the Pre-CD age) coffeehouses, artists/art galleries, small book stores, maybe even a local vintage toy store (ha!). Saint Louis has a large number of independently owned small stores and establishments, help them out this week if you can.

Thursday Nights in STL

Wake the fuck up St. Louis! You missed it. Yeah, it was a Thursday and also the same night as the KDHX Mayhem event but the Schlafly Tap Room was the scene of balls to the wall musical explosions and mind numbing orchestrations that you rarely find in the Midwest. I can't sum-up N. Nomurai in words, you will have to go see them play and be blown-away for yourself; The Ottomen had a strong set and have inspired me to dig out my early Fugazi cds. Spelling Bee was the middle band on the line-up card, who apparently were playing a set at the Tap Room and then moving on to play another show that night (it was almost midnight).....the jokes of 'a large sound from a small package' are too lame to make but the two member group (or duo) was like Pussy Galore and Danzig meets Gene Krupa on crack! Holy shit!! Check out all these bands the next time they play.
(image: one of my older works of art that seemed to fit the music)

Schlechter Duvall, Words of Fire

Schlechter-who?! An under-appreciated international Surrealist whose words are still like fire-starters some 40 years later: "Surrealism always was, still is, and always will be the first and last force of revolt on this Earth. It exists only for one reason: to realize freedom. And for freedom's sake, I want to warn every human being that surrealism is more than ever ALIVE!"

I had this statement from Duvall posted next to my studio easel for many years.

(Courtesy of 'Surrealist Subversions' (Sakolsky) Autonomedia 2002)

Surrealism in Midtown

This is the last week (through Saturday afternoon) that you can see my art show at the PSTL Gallery inside Pace. 3842 Washington Blvd
STL 63108. Michael Allen's Ecology of Absence Blog has a good story on the history of the building that PACE now occupies......

http://ecoabsence.blogspot.com/2009/05/mid-century-modern-preservation-in.html