tough episode tonite. LaDonna finds her brother, which opened up a HUGE roomful of tears... I even had to suck it up, and realized that all those trucks were FULL of dead bodies, and to find that her brother was a victim of the system? Really hit home. We have such a messed up system here in nola. I hear these stories all the time. sad sad stories...
I read salon today, and the reviewer was dissing the show, and I got the feeling that she's never been here. her question had lots to do with the Daymo character... well now she knows... we all know.
Brings up so many stories of people who never returned, were never found, and most likely are gone. When I see the count that the government called "those who died" I'm reminded that THAT isn't the true number. You have to count those who died of broken hearts, those who were never found, and those who were murdered, when all they were, were folks looking for someplace to go. I'm sure there were many up to no good, but the killing went on. We're finally talking about the danziger bridge, finally getting to the bottom of endless rampages of murder... and for what?
I'd like to cry murder right now, since the OIL whores are killing us. the swamps in st bernard? are done. Our line of first defense has been swallowed once again, and for what? so folks can drive their cars fast? sucking up gas? petrolium..? and to think we won't even see our royalties until 2017!
yeah, we all get the short bus on this one... AGAIN...
and all those missing? I wish for their familes to find closure. Certainly, many are still wondering.
miguel and big queen
anba dlo parade
Monday, May 24, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
trumpet magazine, and local artists
I was recently interviewed along with other friends regarding art in new orleans... It was a fun article, and I would like to thank kalen for writing it. Afterall, any exposure is good exposure... but I'd like to add a few things to the article.
When we originally talked, our topic leaned on the treme series, and how one of the big things in the show were the musicians, when in fact... at that time after the storm, we were without musicians. Most of the instruments had drowned in the storm, along with many other things... I even ended up with a neighbors piano at that time. What was back... were the artists, and among them was Michael Dingler, aka REX. He went about putting up street signs so we knew where we were. Many of those signs are still intact. Proving artists were more proactive than the city government. there is no artist figure in treme... there should be.
there was a big push to own anything nola, and since many of the art pieces had drowned, and clothing as well as instruments, a sense of pride was rising up among the creative folks within the city.
I came to town one weekend, and bought tshirts with nola on them, so I could show my pride back in gallatin tennesse and nashville... I was very proud to be from nola, despite what they put out there on the corporate news stations, and regardless of the rumours of how nola was full of beggars, thieves, and welfare recipients...
Jeffery Holmes did toxic art... found, drowned objects and made them into art. He did the memorial on the neutral ground that still remains. lit up with battery operated lights, even when there was no power in the city.
others took everything they could from christmas past, and put up trees with drowned ornaments, others took stuffed animals and tied them to vehicles, others found dolls, and set them up. Everywhere you looked there was a strange thing going on with found objects... there was even a house out in arabi, that sat upon the wicked witch of the west, in the middle of the road. People were trying to find humour... I went looking for it myself.
At that time I was spending my days riding my bike from place to place, getting ice for the ladies next door, whom had no refrigerator... and most of my days spent looking through things people were throwing out. My sister Faye "the tattooedpsychic" had told me that I should pay attention to what came before me. I had a local artist hand me all her supplies on her way out of town, I found canvas stretched wherever I went, I found paintbrushes, people brought me paint, people handed me all forms of media, to create with. This is what she was speaking of, when she said that I should pay attention to what was handed to me. Someone was telling me something, and I should follow the path...
I did.
I look back on that time, and it was certainly therapeutic. I look at what I'm suddenly creating now that the Treme is on TV. I have a wealth of photographs, some 7,000 of this city at her worst. My intent was to use these images in paintings, and it has taken me almost five years to do them. Sometimes I touch on them, but mostly I was doing post K dia de muerte. These days, I've progressed to an entirely different nola vision. HUMOUR of course steeps everything I do, and a sarcasm as well. I am currently painting for "Off White Linen" in August, and another show at the big top regarding women in parades, come september. I will be branching into the retreat at the riverbend, and of course finishing that MURAL at the avenue pub.
So if you get out there, and see my works at surrey's, smile... At Skull Club? grin... at the HI HO? Laugh, as we share a drink over the Treme.
I still have my sense of pride, still have my humour, and still hold some dark images within, at time to time they peek out.
Proud to call this home.
When we originally talked, our topic leaned on the treme series, and how one of the big things in the show were the musicians, when in fact... at that time after the storm, we were without musicians. Most of the instruments had drowned in the storm, along with many other things... I even ended up with a neighbors piano at that time. What was back... were the artists, and among them was Michael Dingler, aka REX. He went about putting up street signs so we knew where we were. Many of those signs are still intact. Proving artists were more proactive than the city government. there is no artist figure in treme... there should be.
there was a big push to own anything nola, and since many of the art pieces had drowned, and clothing as well as instruments, a sense of pride was rising up among the creative folks within the city.
I came to town one weekend, and bought tshirts with nola on them, so I could show my pride back in gallatin tennesse and nashville... I was very proud to be from nola, despite what they put out there on the corporate news stations, and regardless of the rumours of how nola was full of beggars, thieves, and welfare recipients...
Jeffery Holmes did toxic art... found, drowned objects and made them into art. He did the memorial on the neutral ground that still remains. lit up with battery operated lights, even when there was no power in the city.
others took everything they could from christmas past, and put up trees with drowned ornaments, others took stuffed animals and tied them to vehicles, others found dolls, and set them up. Everywhere you looked there was a strange thing going on with found objects... there was even a house out in arabi, that sat upon the wicked witch of the west, in the middle of the road. People were trying to find humour... I went looking for it myself.
At that time I was spending my days riding my bike from place to place, getting ice for the ladies next door, whom had no refrigerator... and most of my days spent looking through things people were throwing out. My sister Faye "the tattooedpsychic" had told me that I should pay attention to what came before me. I had a local artist hand me all her supplies on her way out of town, I found canvas stretched wherever I went, I found paintbrushes, people brought me paint, people handed me all forms of media, to create with. This is what she was speaking of, when she said that I should pay attention to what was handed to me. Someone was telling me something, and I should follow the path...
I did.
I look back on that time, and it was certainly therapeutic. I look at what I'm suddenly creating now that the Treme is on TV. I have a wealth of photographs, some 7,000 of this city at her worst. My intent was to use these images in paintings, and it has taken me almost five years to do them. Sometimes I touch on them, but mostly I was doing post K dia de muerte. These days, I've progressed to an entirely different nola vision. HUMOUR of course steeps everything I do, and a sarcasm as well. I am currently painting for "Off White Linen" in August, and another show at the big top regarding women in parades, come september. I will be branching into the retreat at the riverbend, and of course finishing that MURAL at the avenue pub.
So if you get out there, and see my works at surrey's, smile... At Skull Club? grin... at the HI HO? Laugh, as we share a drink over the Treme.
I still have my sense of pride, still have my humour, and still hold some dark images within, at time to time they peek out.
Proud to call this home.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
now showing at surrey's
1418 magazine street, listed on diners, drive ins and dives.. wonderful spot for breakfast, and lunch, open til three... get over there and buy some art.
happy mothers day!
well, being mothers day and all, I had to post something regarding my mom. We don't always see eye to eye, but this last year has been rough for her, and myself. I have two older brothers, who have no respect for her, and have shown us their true colors in the last six months, resulting in stress on her, and my stepfather, that I'm sure won't go unwarrented, in their old age, when they hope family stands behind them.
the good news is... my mom has realized that sometimes when something bad goes down, something good, comes forward. I guess that would be me. I came to her aid recently, and got her a new lawyer, one who stands behind her, and is prepared to fight for her, in case my bro's try to commit her. Trust me, my mom is FAR from being lost in her mind. If anyone is, it would be them. As they teach their kids to disrespect the elderly, I laugh, and remember my mom and her tenacity.
When my father died in 1990, he said to her, "Gladys, your the most obstinate woman I ever knew, and I still love you for it..."
So here's to my mom, for teaching me, that sometimes, being a bitch is all a woman has to defend herself with, and sometimes being a bitch is all we have. This bitch? Stands behind her mom... Who is growing old gracefully now, without my two greedy, disrespectful brothers...
here's to you MOM, for making me a tough old broad.!
the good news is... my mom has realized that sometimes when something bad goes down, something good, comes forward. I guess that would be me. I came to her aid recently, and got her a new lawyer, one who stands behind her, and is prepared to fight for her, in case my bro's try to commit her. Trust me, my mom is FAR from being lost in her mind. If anyone is, it would be them. As they teach their kids to disrespect the elderly, I laugh, and remember my mom and her tenacity.
When my father died in 1990, he said to her, "Gladys, your the most obstinate woman I ever knew, and I still love you for it..."
So here's to my mom, for teaching me, that sometimes, being a bitch is all a woman has to defend herself with, and sometimes being a bitch is all we have. This bitch? Stands behind her mom... Who is growing old gracefully now, without my two greedy, disrespectful brothers...
here's to you MOM, for making me a tough old broad.!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
more treme
sunday nights at the hi ho lounge for the treme are becoming one of my favorite nights of the week. I look forward to painting something for it, and I get great joy seeing someone score a nice one...
I really enjoyed john goodman this past episode, when he decides to go on youtube, and make his commentary regarding new orleans, and saving chicago, new york, california, etc... when he finally explodes with commentary from one of bourbon streets tshirt sayings... I had a great chuckle. he pretty much said it all.
here's what I think is missing though, and maybe they're going to address it, but power outages... curfews, more national guard, some drag queens, they completely skipped halloween, when they pushed the curfews back so you could stay out later. although, maybe the curfews pushed back, but the cabs were unavailable after eleven pm. where's st bernard parish? show me some red cross lines, some more fema parks, houses in the middle of roads, and more carpetbaggers...
a public roast of fema, would make me really happy...
maybe that tshirt that NOPD printed saying chocolate city we're bitter...
I really enjoyed john goodman this past episode, when he decides to go on youtube, and make his commentary regarding new orleans, and saving chicago, new york, california, etc... when he finally explodes with commentary from one of bourbon streets tshirt sayings... I had a great chuckle. he pretty much said it all.
here's what I think is missing though, and maybe they're going to address it, but power outages... curfews, more national guard, some drag queens, they completely skipped halloween, when they pushed the curfews back so you could stay out later. although, maybe the curfews pushed back, but the cabs were unavailable after eleven pm. where's st bernard parish? show me some red cross lines, some more fema parks, houses in the middle of roads, and more carpetbaggers...
a public roast of fema, would make me really happy...
maybe that tshirt that NOPD printed saying chocolate city we're bitter...
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