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I Know What My Weaknesses Are, Probably Better Than You Do

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:30:11 +0000

I Know What My Weaknesses Are, Probably Better Than You Do is an upcoming art exhibit at Freud’s Bathhouse & Diner, Winnipeg, Canada.

The exhibit opens August 5th, 2010, and features illustration by William Schaff (Rhode Island), Beth Frey (Toronto), Ramsey Beyer (Chicago) & Ryan Trudeau (Winnipeg), as well as a Zine Expo featuring Robert Pasternak, Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine, IT³, S. Arden Hill, Three Syllable Words, Junto (Winnipeg zine library) & much more.

More Information

download large size poster download large size handbill

Presented by Freud’s Bathhouse & Diner, I Know What My Weaknesses Are… will present the work of four illustrators (Schaff, Frey, Beyer & Trudeau) with an exhibition of zines including indie comics, micro press publications, epic photocopies, pamphlets, and handmade books.

Opening Night (& Day):
Thursday, August 5th 2PM – Midnight
W/ host of guest DJs.

Approx DJ Schedule:
2pm: Kelly Ruth
3pm: DJ Daniel Triangle
4pm: Mark Wohlgemuth
6pm: Dany Reede
7pm: Jason Penner
8:30pm: Taylor Burgess
9:30pm: Fletcher Pratt
11pm: DJ Aubrey Beardsley
more info

Freud’s Bathhouse & Diner will enforce a limited capacity in order to protect the artworks yet maintain the Zine Expo’s a hands on environment.

Seating & snacks will be provided outside, including tasty treats from Cake-ology (85 Arthur St, cake-ology.blogspot.com/).

Additional exhibit hours can be found, by week, on our website (http://imtrying.net/freuds).
UPDATE: Closing party details can be found here as well: http://imtrying.net/freuds w/ more info TBA.

For more information on I Know What My Weaknesses Are… or for high-res images of artwork, please contact kristel@sketchbookkid.net.

Skip to:
William Schaff.
Beth Frey.
Ramsey Beyer.
Ryan Trudeau.
Zine Expo.

Artists in the Illustration Exhibit:

William Schaff

“William J. Schaff Jr. (born February 6, 1973) is a Providence, Rhode Island-based artist and musician, who has created the detailed art for all of the Jagjaguwar releases of Okkervil River and artwork for other music albums, including for the bands Songs: Ohia and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.”
Wikipedia

This is the Lift Your Skinny Fists artist’s first ever Canadian exhibition, and first major international exhibition.

Schaff will be displaying a large collection of original drawings as well as copies of his xeroxed comic zines (which first brought him to the attention of Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor), and a few final remaining copies of his hardbound book, Monday Morning, Going to Work: Subjective Observations of Dreams, Reality & Love (including handmade, signed and numbered dust jackets).

From the artist:

William Schaff is a wreck. His most recent regular pay work involved him punching people in the head, and hoping they didn’t punch him back. That said he manages to create lots of artwork for different folk. From the likes of fine authors, to such notable independant musicains as Okkervil River, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and many more. This boy has chops! Chops and debt! Working hard at avoiding debt collectors and making as much art as possible before they catch up with him, this fine artist is just trying to keep his lights on, his car insured and his mortgage paid. Well, one out of three ain’t bad..God Bless you, William Schaff.

/

William Schaff, born 1973, is a Providence, Rhode Island-based musician and artist, working in a multitude of mediums including scratchboard, embroidery, animation, drawing, collage, and cut paper. His work often explores the tensions of urban life and the pervasiveness of human suffering. Skeletons and skulls make frequent appearances, as do iconic scenes of religious suffering. In lighter moments, his love of dogs, birds, and the natural world arise. Summarizing his motivations, Schaff says, “I hope that through creating my art, I can someday understand why it is people feel so compelled to hurt each other.”

Since moving to Providence in 1997, Schaff has played guitar and percussion with The Eyesores, the Iditarod, and Black Forest/Black Sea. He currently performs in the Providence renegade brass band, What Cheer? Brigade. In addition, almost every member of the Brigade is adorned with Schaff’s elaborate custom embroideries. A graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Schaff has exhibited and lectured at the United States Air Force Academy, the Rhode Island School of Design, Amherst College, and East Carolina University. He is perhaps best known for the numerous album covers he created for Okkervil River as well as his visual contributions to releases from Kid Dakota, Godspeed You Black Emperor, and Songs: Ohia and more.

“Cultural commentary? Apocalyptic vision? Impartial observation of things that are, even in a good light, quite dark? I don’t know….. In their helplessness they tell me at least one thing about themselves: that they are human beings.”

John Darnielle, The Mountain Goats

More Press Quotes ; William Schaff Artist CV ; Interviews & Links

William Schaff online

Beth Frey

Beth Frey is a Toronto based multidisciplinary artist whose delicate illustrations, with their elaborate yet spacious compositions and recurring, somehow sinister forms and characters, tremble with a wisdom beyond their years, and the promise that Frey’s work won’t be underground for long.

Beth Frey will be displaying original artworks both large and small. Prints of some works will be available as well.

From the artist:

Born in Calgary, raised on Vancouver Island, and with jaunts in Quebec, Morocco, and elsewhere, Beth Frey moved to Toronto in 2008. Having completed her BFA at the University of Victoria and a diploma in Communication Studies at Concordia, Beth’s background includes painting, sculpture, performance, and video. After packing up and moving cross-country several times, Beth became attracted to the portability and simplicity of materials that drawing provided, and now primarily works with pens and markers on paper, working elements from her other disciplines into her pieces.

Since arriving in Toronto, Beth has shown at 401 Richmond, Gallery 1313, The Whippersnapper Gallery, and the Queen West Art Crawl. She has also participated in shows at The Ministry of Casual Living, The Fifty-Fifty, and Open Space in Victoria, and her videos have screened at the annual THAW benefit in Chicago. She has provided illustrations for Shameless magazine, Crow Toes Quarterly, and Ms. Guided as well as for the 2010 documentary film The Dressmakers. Beth works as a part-time art educator at Oakville Galleries.

Beth Frey online
Beth Frey on Tumblr

Ramsey Beyer

Known best to some for friendly, distinctive show fliers, and to others for her intimate and always charming lists, stories, and comics in her now prolific zine, List, Ramsey Beyer has created a strong, original, and positive voice in American punk and DIY culture.

Ramsey Beyer will present original drawings and comic panels showcasing her working process, along with prints of drawings, comic panels, and show fliers. Copies of her zines will also be available.

From the artist:

Ramsey Beyer is a 25-year old illustrator living in Chicago, IL. She makes a zine called List, which is in it’s 14th issue.

Ramsey grew up in Michigan on a vineyard with four siblings and two parents and lots of pets. When she was 18, she moved to Baltimore, MD to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art. In 2007, Ramsey graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Fine Art in Experimental Animation. During her four years at MICA, her short animations were selected for many experimental film festivals and her artwork appeared in several juried exhibitions. After graduating, she stayed in Baltimore for an additional year focusing on community arts, music, and playing with her little kid neighbors. She then moved to Chicago where she pursues freelance illustrations and works by day as a nanny.”

Ramsey Beyer online

Ryan Trudeau

The drawings of Ryan Trudeau have been staples of posters and album art for fans of punk and hardcore in Winnipeg for nearly a decade. He has displayed fine art and print making works in galleries such as Martha Street Studios and IT³ United, designed posters for Big Smash! Productions and legendary hardcore band Under Pressure, and his 2007, independently released comic What Goes On (written by Cameron Popham) continues to make waves. He is currently a student at the University of Manitoba.

Ryan Trudeau will display illustration of various types, as well as the comic What Goes On.

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IKWMWA Zine Expo

This zine expo is open call, and is a cross between a zine expo, a library, and a gallery exhibit.

Our desire is to include as many works as possible in a reverent, hands on and accessible environment where gallery visitors can browse at leisure, much like a library; purchase zines that are marked for sale, as at a traditional zine expo; and experience and learn more about zines & the culture of independent and underground publishing, as in a museum or more conventional gallery setting.

Submission to IKWMWA is free of charge (please note that a 25% commission will be taken from sales). Any and all zines, indie comics, micro press publications, pamphlets, and handmade books, whether xeroxed and staple-bound, hand printed and sewn, or embroidered and folded origami style, are welcome, as are distros, collectives & archives. Please contact us asap to see about special displays, as space is limited and we’d like to accommodate in the best way possible.

Zine “Expo” Call for Submissions on Facebook.

To be involved in the zine expo, please email kristel@sketchbookkid.net.

A Selection of IKWMWA Zine Expo Exhibitors

Robert Pasternak

Robert Pasternak (b. 1963) was born in Winnipeg where he continues to live and work. He is a truly unique character inside and outside the visual arts, building a long and diverse career that is continually under-recognized. Pasternak can be described as a colourful eccentric who moves seamlessly from metaphysical paintings and science-fiction illustration to hand-processed film and collage with found materials. Guided by a mix of new age philosophy, comic book ambition, and a fundamental belief in the interconnectedness of events, Pasternak creates a makeshift universe where his work and audience can meet. His studio and personality reflect this practice, filled with salvaged material, vintage memorabilia, and millions of unfinished projects waiting for inspiration. In addition to his art practice, he has worked as a production artist (designing for the garment industry), as art director for Zygote magazine, as a digital colorist for a multimedia firm, and as a freelance graphic designer. He is represented by Ken Segal Gallery in Winnipeg, and has exhibited in a variety of contexts.

Robert Pasternak will be exhibiting a wide variety of his comics and his remarkably designed tiny books recently featured in his Visual Chew exhibit at Martha Street Studios.

http://www.robertpasternak.net/

Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine

Founded in Toronto in early 2006, Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine is a (mostly) online publication of (mostly) young and broke Canadian talent, located at www.syphmag.net.
Having been based since in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Montreal and, yes, Winnipeg (and Toronto again) as backbone members “Nic Van Roon” and SBK move from place to place in inexplicable desperation, Syphmag has appeared at Canzine, Expozine, the Ottawa Small Press Fair, the Toronto Small Press Fair, Elitist Misgivings (as organizer), Tolerable Affections (as organizer) and most recently A Recession of Mortality: The Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine Ghost Show (as presenter), a three week exhibition taking place in Toronto in August 2009.
As some of its small core of contributors have faded away others have arrived, but the magazine has continued to devote itself to developing what it believes to be strong and original voices.
After a few awkward attempts in its early days at more basic zine making techniques, Syphmag & SBK published Wee Eskimo Woman’s Self Portrait Drawn in Barbie Colouring Book Style, a hand stitched, perfect bound, tiny book of poetry, and eventually gave birth to IT³ Micro Publishing & Binding.

This will be a rare opportunity to see Syphmag’s oldest (and sometimes most embarrassing) works, as well as their newer works published under the IT³ umbrella.
Syphmag will also display works from their own zine library, including ancient publications by Syphmag contributor Eli W. Rockmell (aka Triumphene), Winnipeg artist Reetbot, and issues of defunct Brampton celebration of geek culture, Why Not.

http://syphmag.net

IT³ Micro Publishing & Binding.

IT³, now based in Winnipeg (at Freud’s Bathhouse & Diner) binds carefully made books in limited runs. Handmade works in the expo will include publications by Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine (see above) as well as Mark Wohlgemuth & Tyler Funk’s A Worthy Weight of a Heavy Heart and IT³’s first effort as a record label: Kram Ran’s A Brief Affair of Limping and Gathering of Clipped Wings.

http://imtrying.net/publishing-binding/

Junto

Junto Local 91 is a lending library run by an anarchist collective of volunteers. Junto (a spanish word meaning “to unite”) was named after a debating group from the 1720s who decided to pool their personal collections of books in order to have materials with which to educate themselves. We feel it is vital to see ourselves reflected in print, to provide a forum for alternative lifestyles, to challenge what we’ve been spoon-fed, to share the skills and knowledge we need to live our chosen lives to the fullest, and to inspire ourselves and each other to action.

Freud’s Bathhouse & Diner is proud to announce that Winnipeg’s zine library, Junto, will be exhibiting a selection of their extensive archive. More information to be announced.

http://junto.a-zone.org/

S. Arden Hill

S. Arden Hill, as a multidisciplinary artist, has created a few exquisite experimental book-works thus far in his career, one of which is available in Winnipeg’s Art Hive, and some of which will be on display at IKWMWA.

S. Arden Hill online

Three Syllable Words

Three Syllable Words is a Toronto & New York City based zine published by Betty McKenzie. Ostensibly in existence since McKenzie’s high-school days, on display will be her delicately printed and pasted zines Noises from Your Neighbours Apartment and Gardening, xeroxed Halloween treasure Girthmanthaclops, the final copy of their gorgeous hand stitched 2009 release for Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine, Past Successes, and more.

Also in the IKWMWA Zine Expo: The Moose & Pussy, In/Words, mrghosty, SANDBOX Magazine, Ameena Scream, Devon Kerslak, Jennifer Bass, the Syphmag Zine Library, & more.
_____________

I Know What My Weaknesses Are, Probably Better Than You Do
August 5th – August 29th, 2010
Freud’s Bathhouse & Diner
42 Albert Street, Winnipeg, Canada.

click for large size poster

For more information or resources, please contact Kristel Jax.

The Ghost Show at Freud’s Bathhouse & Diner, Winnipeg

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 06:17:03 +0000

The Ghost Show

The Ghost show, presented by Freud’s Bathhouse & Diner, Ghost Town, Manitoba, & UMFM, marked the Grand Opening of Freud’s Bathhouse & Diner, a new gallery space in Winnipeg’s Exchange District.

The exhibit ran from April 24th – May 22nd, 2010, and featured ghost themed art by:

Sketchbookkid (Kristel Jax)
Triumphene (Montreal)
Leslie Supnet
Reetbot
Christian Worthington
Andrew Milne
Clint Enns
Tyler Funk
Dylan Doom
& Ted Barker.

Opening night also included witch house, psyche & creepazoid tracks by Kid Sportswear (NYC ghost DJ) all night, and a special Kram Ran set at midnight.

Flickr Photo Gallery: Opening Night

Flickr Photo Gallery: The Ghost Show Art Exhibit (in progress).

Flickr Photo Gallery: Kram Ran at The Ghost Show.

The Ghost Show was similar to Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine ’s 2009 A Recession of Mortality Show in Toronto, but with a new twist.

More photos of the exhibit & opening night to come.

Freud’s Bathhouse and Diner
42 Albert St
Winnipeg Mb
R3B 2P3
204 688 5845
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=106539942712404

The State of the Arts in Canada: Current Show: 13 Who Knew

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 04:48:16 +0000

Photos from the March 18th opening of 13 Who Knew, an art show showcasing works of thirteen artists at the Graffiti Gallery, 109 Higgins Ave, Winnipeg.

The show runs until April 22, 2010 and includes works by Les Klassen, Patrick Ross, Barry Gibson, Shawn Coates, Brian Longfield, Leif Norman, Greg Hanec, Carmen Ponto, Kelly Ruth, Tyler Funk, Andrew Milne, Leslie Supnet, and Doreen Girard.

Wooden sculptures: Andrew Milne.

Mixed Media: Doreen Girard.

Illustration: Leslie Supnet.

Photography: Tyler Funk

Painting: Kelly Ruth

Painting: Brian Longfield

13 Who Knew on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=345174202300&ref=ss

Hooked on Heroes!

13 Who Knew was shown in conjunction with the Hooked on Heroes! exhibit in the William Feldman Memorial Gallery, on the Graffiti Gallery’s second floor.

In Hooked on Heroes!, children invented their own person super-heroes, made capes, drew comics, and created character profiles.

The Winnipeg Graffiti Gallery: http://www.graffitigallery.ca/
More photos of 13 Who Knew & Hooked on Heroes! : IT³ on Flickr

The State of the Arts in Canada: Past Show – Christy Langer’s Reprise

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:22:46 +0000

Christy Langer’s Reprise exhibit ran from October 17 – November 14, 2009 at Christopher Cutts Gallery, 21 Morrow Avenue, in Toronto’s Roncesvalles / Dundas West neighbourhood.

Langer’s life-like sculptural works of resin, fibreglass, styrofoam, string, and oil paint depicted birds and other animals atop glinting false snow, hanging on thin wire from the ceiling, or affixed to the wall with metal rods or string and horseshoe nails.

Langer’s Reprise installation was shown in conjunction with Insurrectos (Rebels), a collection of Matias Sanchez paintings.

For more information & to see more works by Christy Langer and Matias Sanchez, visit the Christopher Cutts Gallery at http://www.cuttsgallery.com/
Christy Langer: http://www.cuttsgallery.com/dynamic/artist.asp?ArtistID=53
Matias Sanchez: http://www.cuttsgallery.com/dynamic/artist.asp?ArtistID=41

January Update at Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:22:10 +0000

As seen at syphmag.net:

January Update at Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine:

21 Questions

There was a time when you, kind readers, were limited to the dimensions of touch, sound, sight, and smell. Oh, box faced friends, reaching us through familiar sensations of fingers and electrical currents – through all the poetry that could and likely has been amassed on the subject of our modern processes –are these new touches, these touches which sometimes tire you.

You have a breadth of life in a world you do not understand, or perhaps understand too well. When your fingers breathe, they leave a fog on panes of strange glass which make up windows impossible to break. They are everywhere, unless you are poor, my friends, and unless you are not with us today.

A new body has wrapped itself around our own, and within its skin teem the beings we love, and the beings we desperately rely on to love us, sparkling, so much better, and embodying all the modern cliches of distance and closeness. And within this skin we flail ourselves about, soundlessly, as our own bodies – encased yet so obviously separate, grow distracted. Toes tap; heads tip on their shoulders; eyes strain against the bidding of our generation.

As we abbreviate our love and make our clever side steps into personality against the blinding light, the sources; the rules and the codes, an understanding has been reached that we are all in this together. Like ceramic creatures in a glass globe, we shake, and we let our hopes rise and fall, united by a delicate, yet all enveloping sky.

Friends may be few; friends may be questionable; friends may be more undetectably rotten than ever before. But here, at least, you have us. Know that wherever you are, we are in the same hands, and always will be.

This month at SM²:

..
New from : ‘Lil Comics:
21 Questions
Twenty-one selections from Pablo Neruda’s poem The Book of Questions are tenderly illustrated by ‘Lil, as she imagines the adventures of Syphmag’s dear Lara Violet, an octopus, and a flying bicycle.

New from : Betty McKenzie:
American Thanksgiving
A holiday ignites a flashback to thieveries committed by nature against small pink children in this, a forth Leaving Story from our New York correspondent, Betty.

New from Rockmell Comics:
Rockmell Year in Review: October through December
The second installment of Rockmell’s year in review brings more obscure science jokes (we remind our readers, even in light of our introduction this month, of the existence of Wikipedia), cold weather, skinny boys, and lonely Christmases.

New from Sketchbookkid Photo Diary:
Sketchbookkid finally catches up, and posts November through January 15th. SBK inhabits three homes in three months as she pursues her infamous lifestyle of extremes in social obligations and almost total isolation.
..

Coyote Rosebud sends her regrets: the next installment of The Voracious Mouth of Roadkill Rita will be posted in our February update. Kram has no regrets. Dottie Jax remains hard at work writing a novel detailing the tamer side of Insane Clown Posse fans, and regrets only that.

Suggesting dreams of tiny sledgehammers from the garden wall,

Nicolaas Van Roon, ed.

..
reposted by Syphmag friends, IT³.

2010 & IT³’s Year in Music:

admin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 06:08:14 +0000

photo of Lara Violet by SBK

All the best in the new ~~year~~ decade, from I’m Trying I’m Trying I’m Trying, ltd.

2009 saw the launch of our website, as well as the release of limited edition comic Wild Strawberries by Tiny Tommy Comics, chapbook Pure Animal Instinct by Dottie Jax, and our first musical release, A Brief Affair of Limping and Gathering of Clipped Wings by Kram Ran. We appeared at several small press fairs and zine conventions, and were involved in two art exhibits with Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine.

2010 will bring more small press releases, as well as artist pages, including Reetbot and Syphmag’s SBK. Our State of the Arts in Canada blog will also continue.

Thank you, friends, for all of your support thus far and in the new decade.

IT³’s Year In Music:

Top 10 Albums of the Year:

10. Joan of Arc – Flowers
9. The Depreciation Guild – In Her Gentle Jaws
8. To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie – Marlone
7. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – Vs. Children
6. Former Ghosts - Fleurs
5. Thee Oh Sees – Zork’s Tape Bruise
4. The Appleseed Cast – Sagarmatha
3. Aarktica – In Sea
2. The Pink Noise – Alpha
1. The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come

Runners up:

Clues – Clues
Swan Lake – Enemy Mine

Albums we wish we listened to more:

Pan American – White Bird Release
Mount Eerie – Wind’s Poem

Other full lengths that we liked from 2009:

Blackout Beach – Skin of Evil
Evangelista – Prince of Truth
Thee Oh Sees – Help
The Intelligence – Fake Surfers

Best Compilation:

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – Advance Base Battery Life

Best EP (except we can’t mention it because IT³ released it):

Kram Ran – A Brief Affair of Limping and Gathering of Clipped Wings

so, Best EP:

The Mountain Goats & John Vanderslice – Moon Colony Bloodbath

Best Shows of 2009:

Thee Oh Sees @ Wrong Bar, Toronto
Stars Like Fleas and Echoes Still Singing Limbs @ La Sala Rosa, Montreal
The Depreciation Guild @ The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto

Best cover of the year:

The Mountain Goats – Drug Life (from Score! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers!)

Best album cover of the year:

The Pink Noise – Dream Code (re-issue on Sacred Bones Records)

December Update at Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:01:28 +0000

As seen at syphmag.net:

December Update at Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine:

The Beautiful Things Project

December at Syphmag has been a quiet month so far. We collect half-empty and assorted matchbooks and lighters bearing the names and slogans of our establishments of employment, and set our rough drafts on fire. We brush the papers against the windows, melting the ice that’s formed there and scorching foreign, yet strangely authentic, new patterns onto the frosted glass. We enjoy our rewards as the warmed ice spills over onto the carpet in a small but cherished waterfall. We pass SBK’s camera amongst ourselves as we pose along side. A Syphmag Christmas vacation.

Why hold onto the past? We fill our stained, half-washed second hand pots and pans with our notes and letters; our old plans. We light them and we hold our icy hands over the flickering light of those ancient maps to our identities, those instigators to our accomplishments thus far. We watch as encouragement and anxieties from our former selves and friends burn brightly in our eyes, turning the cold blue light of our northern Canadian offices into a hot, warmly coloured tropical nightlife. Our subdued shivers could almost be called dancing.

The past is behind us, and your keepsakes lie forgotten, misplaced behind some ancient piece of furniture. You could light it all on fire, if need be, and you would survive this cruel season. You are separate from what has made you. You look for new things to collect; always new things to absorb and leave deflated in the basement sink.

Syphmag is here, with a new month’s worth of content. New comics from Rockmell and ‘Lil, a new poem from Winnipeg star Kram, and new prose from Betty McKenzie and Coyote Rosebud.

This month at SM²:

..
New from Betty McKenzie:
Vinegar Hill.

New York is notorious as a place for the continent’s visionaries, but Betty McKenzie is onto the dream. In her third Leaving Story, Betty portrays a rare, disparate version of the city, where the movies and legends fail the actuality as much as the postcards.

New from Rockmell Comics:
Rockmell Year in Review: April through October
Resident science-head (and who isn’t trying to get hip with science, these days) Eli W. Rockmell draws half a year of memories, from biomedical conferences and Greek Proportion Theory to home-bleaching and Syphmag gallery shows.

New from : ‘Lil Comics:
The Beautiful Things Project
‘Lil’s newest mini series-comic, the first since her Winnipeg to Toronto hitchhiking epic, and follow up to The Coward Project, brings us a list of twenty-nine beautiful things, with accompanying tiny illustrations for each. Something sweet from the usually tough crowd at SM² – not to be missed.

New from Coyote Rosebud:
The Voracious Mouth of Roadkill Rita: Part Three
The third installation of The Voracious Mouth… takes a turn from the hedonistic as we find ourselves in a newly lit morning, our amorous characters changed from their performances of sleep, and with piano accompaniment.

New from Kram:
Chauffeur
In line with the holiday spirit, a funeral poem. After all – what year was that, when we unwrapped presents silently, while our parents sat dull and mournful before us? When we wore our newly uncovered, itchy sweaters to the viewing? When we learned that death, like our Kram, keeps no calendar? We bring you this poem on the gentle chance that the answer is ‘this one’.

New from Sketchbookkid Photo Diary:
Seemingly ever-tardy SBK collects a photo for each day in long past October, 2009. Spunky bands, hardwood floors, installations and the repetition of a few close friends fill this autumn month.
SBK would like us to note the camera problems plaguing October 2nd – October 13th, and their questionable artistic relevance.
..

In a world of brief possession and revolving interests, it may be well to remember that parts of our worlds remain unchanging. Friends, the weather outside is sometimes frightful, no matter the longitude or hemisphere, and the new year will always bring with it some thoughts of those things past. Just remember: ten minutes of safety precautions can save hours of police reports and firemen’s lectures.

All our love at the close of 2009,

Nicolaas Van Roon, ed.

PS:
Was our update lacking in holiday spirit?
Syphmag reminds you that there are in fact two Tiny Tommy Christmas comics. 2006’s A Tiny Tommy Christmas Story (http://syphmag.net/tinytommycomics/07.htm), and 2007’s Elitist Misgivings Day (http://syphmag.net/tinytommycomics/31.htm). We’ve been assured that Tommy’s 2010 holiday comic will be the best yet, but until then, we hope you enjoy, and pass along, these old favourites.

..
reposted by Syphmag friends, IT³.

The State of the Arts in Canada: Interview with Reetbot

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:44:30 +0000

IT³ caught up with Winnipeg’s Reetbot, one of this country’s most hard working new artists, in a church at a Christmas craft fair. He spoke about his upcoming Santa themed show, his city, music, feelings, and pizza.

Performer Kram Ran, newly back in Winnipeg, tagged along.

Reetbot’s upcoming show, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year…, opens in Winnipeg on Thursday, December 10th.

IT³: How are the fans, Reetbot?

Reetbot: What fans? I have no fans, unfortunately. I have this one crazy stalker girl who basically rips off everything I do. I have some fans in my apartment actually, but I have to crank them to get them to work… and then they make this crazy noise like, durrrrrrrrrrrrr…

What’s the show all about?

Santa’s struggle to cope with the debt that Christmas brings each year. He pays slave wages to the elves, but the cost of gas…

What about the reindeer?

They’re a myth.
Really I just painted Santa because he’s creepy. But it could also be interpreted as my love for pizza.

In what way?

I always eat pizza while painting. It makes me feel like I’m on heroin, it surges through my body and sometimes I can’t remember what’s happening. It’s my comfort mechanism. When I was 20 I found out Santa wasn’t real. Now I fill the void with pizza… and paintings of Santa Clause.

Who the fuck is Reetbot?

Reetbot is a group of ten people. They’re all sailors. No, he’s just some stupid kid and he paints these little characters. Honestly he’s not even real. Basically, I found a Reetbot well and I pull these things out of it. It’s an endless well of crappy paintings, and I just pull these out of it… I don’t know.

Why is the well in Winnipeg?

Because we’re the center shit hole of Canada. No, there’s so much good stuff coming out of Winnipeg right now; there needs to be really TERRIBLE art to contrast it. It’s like an ego booster. “If Reetbot can do it, anyone can!” Plus, it’s the best place in the world.

Are you the guy who spray painted my garage the other night?

No no, that’s Re-boot. Reetbot doesn’t paint houses or cars, only children in strollers. And breasts.

Will you paint a deer in a forest for my grandpa’s living room?

I have like 10 deers in forests already. But if he wants a custom made one, totally. Still lives are my speciality, but I love nature paintings too.

What is the nicest thing a stranger’s ever said to you?

I got a call after my show last year saying great things. This guy called me Shitbot, and said the gallery shouldn’t have Reetbot shows because the neighbourhood gets plastered every time with graffiti up and down the block like a plague. I thought that was a big compliment – it must take a pretty special person to accomplish that. It’s like being in the mob, but I’m a white kid from the suburbs. It all comes back to pizza. I had another show where I played that message on a tape player, and people could listen on headphones.

They left a message?

Yeah, on the gallery’s machine.

What’s going on artistically in Canada right now?

Oh man. This is the first time I’ve left my apartment in a month. Graffiti everywhere, it never sleeps. Yesterday I was waiting for the bus, and a guy asked me to buy one of his portraits. It was awesome, but I had no money. So that’s happening. People are hustlin’. Oh, and Reetbot shows.

How does graffiti cope with Winnipeg winters?

It thins the herd. Graffiti loves Winnipeg winters. Reetbot only paints graffiti in the winter. But I don’t know anything about it.

What are your thoughts on this craft sale?

I love the caroller. Lots of cute girls. Some sweet treats over there. I saw a kid sneezing on them earlier, and I’m thinking I might buy one so I can get sick and miss work on Monday. Sales are good, I actually sold something. So that’s a step forward.

What gets Reetbot out of the house?

If my internet connection goes down then I have to go to the library. I can’t order pizza on the phone, because I’m scared of the phone. I need to order pizza online.

So just pizza?

Whenever City Champs play a show. Oh, and craft sales. At churches.

Top five albums of the decade?

What?

Just wing it.

Alright… Matching Socks, Missing Feet by the The Bonaduces. The Get Up Kids: Something to Write Home About. American Football’s self titled… Dog Disco by Leatherface, and, um…. wait, let me think for a minute.

Sure.

My Downtrodden Smile – My Downtrodden Smile

My Downtrodden Smile? Are you in that band?

I wish. I was 15 when they played their last show at the Albert, and I wasn’t sneaky enough to sneak in yet.

What do you say to bands or artists who pass over Winnipeg because it’s a frozen shithole?

I say, I stole your music on the internet and I never want to see your art again. Also, any band that has come through and stayed with me can attest that I make the best grilled cheese sandwiches and have the cuddliest cats, so they’re missing out.

Kram Ran: I make the best grilled cheese sandwiches.

Reetbot: I don’t know… we’ll see. We’ll have a cook off.

IT³: What does this city need the most?

It doesn’t need anything – it’s perfect. It needs more youth oriented programs. And more pizza places. I want pizza with sesame seed crusts.

Last time you cried?

Last night. I cry every day. Life is hard. I listen to too much Dashboard Confessional, also I write too much poetry for my own good. But seriously I hate life. I get really depressed and I cry. Some days I cry twice a day. Or three times. There’s no limit. No one’s ever caught me though.

Does your art come from the place of secret tears?

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes I’m so upset that I throw something, rip a canvas, and make my art even better. One canvas I ripped and had to sew back together. I was like, oh man, this is awesome. But mostly my tears are self serving. I’m wasting time when I should be painting. One day I’ll learn to multitask.

What’s next post Santa show?

Go explore the world in a canoe; disappear. Write the greatest musical anyone has ever seen – all disco trance music with a hint of soul. About a fox who lost his hole, so he grows up into a bitter old fox man. I’m still working out the kinks.

So this is the farewell show?

Yeah, in this life.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year… runs from December 10th-19th at the Cre8ery gallery in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Opening night is the evening of Thursday, December 10th.

The Cre8ery: http://cre8ery.com/
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year… on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=223466048792&ref=mf

The State of the Arts in Canada: Past Show – The Leona Drive Project

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:46:28 +0000

Running from October 22-31 in Toronto as part of the Toronto International Art Fair, The Leona Drive Project took place on five properties in Willowdale, a northern suburb adjoined with Sheppard Station.

The five houses slated for demolition, 9, 11, 15, 17 and 19 Leona Drive, were transformed and open to the public free of charge for one week. The exhibit also included a public forum on urban planning, film projections, and daily artist talks.

The Leona Drive Project featured a life-sized green ‘Monopoly’ house, a car smashed through the window of 17 Leona Drive, make-shift shelters in the backyards, red lipstick coating every surface of an upstairs bathroom, a room of white pennies nailed to the wall (after the saying ‘a penny saved is a penny earned’), and more.

For more information, see the Leona Drive Project’s brochure:

or visit http://www.leonadrive.ca/

November Update at Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:05:05 +0000

As seen at syphmag.net:

November Update at Syphilitic Mermaids Magazine:

The Drunk

Readers: as you spread your sweater-clad arms and throw them around the nearest body or bottle; as the autumn sets in and turns your leaves and hopes to crimson red; as you struggle through harsh winds, city dust that stings your eyes, and endless rumours of deathly disease just to find someone, somewhere, who wants to listen to your gentle cries through this winter. Oh boys, oh girls, and oh casual or frantic undecideds: you are looking for the right party. You await the right moment, the right dress, the right pose.

You stand in doorways! You tip your glass, and you tip your head, and from the corner of your eye you watch the room and think, yes, this is the place, this is right, and I belong. You are not some sad, 80s chump just because you wear a cardigan sweater. You are real and alive and it is the year two thousand and nine, and you understand! You can jump over that line of human isolation and make connections; you are a grown organism with the understanding of several millenia behind you, and you will not be lonely. You will not be one of those sad and tormented fools of past musical decades.

And you touch the right places on all the right sweaters, and you smile your gorgeous, photographable smile, and you say so many right and relevant things, and you are gentle and good in your harmlessness; your words flying across the party like a pair of open arms. Yes, you will be always surrounded by true, wonderful friends who are also making these correct choices in attitude (influenced by you, no doubt, and also by their own fine graces and experience).

Yes, this world is right.

You walk home with your hand in hers and you expect nothing, readers, and of course you pretend to be as shy as decency requires, but you know the future, and you are at peace with it. And through the winter months while she lies in your arms, never once will you think of that fate you might have had, bitter and alone, cringing against the wall at each and every desperate attendance to each and every ridiculous party. You understand this world, and you have come to know that there is no other way; and now, you are simply thankful for it all.

Yet, gentle readers, sometimes art is on a different plane than life – and sometimes a good story about a bad party is just what the season requires. This week, we bring you two – as well as new photos from SBK’s photo diary, and an interview with two young men who seem to know when to carouse, when to collapse in despair, and when to combine the two with perfect harmony.

November at SM²:

..
New from Kram:
The Drunk
A lively, endless discussion at a party is contrasted against the detached world of it’s quiet participant: the celebration’s cold and silent host, glass in hand.

New from Coyote Rosebud:
The Voracious Mouth of Roadkill Rita: part two
Our beloved Rita flounces amid the party-goers of Coyote’s last installment, committing one adulterous and criminal act after the other; until someone manages to take this wild and cruel young beauty home, with completely unforeseen results.

New from Sketchbookkid Photo Diary:
Photos from August and September. In thousands of pixelated colours, the busy and emotional turmoil of enigmatic and unreachable SBK.

New Interview:
Present Ghosts of Freddy Ruppert: A Sighting of Former Ghosts
An interview, conducted between our sister company IT³ and Californian band Former Ghosts, about the inevitable appearance of the personal in art.
..

Sometimes the party is over, friends, and we must wipe the whiskey from our chins and find our shoes by the door.

This month, we end our update with some business, and some news.

Syphmag’s news posts, dear readers, will now appear each month in all of the usual places, as well as in blog format at http://imtrying.net [note: you're here!].

An interview with none other than myself also appears (reposted from our site) here, and our new RSS feed, which will be combined with IT³’s charming art blog, The State of the Arts in Canada, and the posts of our publishing house, I’m Trying I’m Trying I’m Trying, Ltd. All worthy reading to keep you warm through every accidental stumble during this oncoming winter.

The new Syphmag RSS feed can be accessed here.

More news: interviews! Syphmag wants your interviews. Our standards are high, our criticisms harsh, but if you have an interview conducted in the past with anyone, or anything, that you, dear reader, deem relevant in this life, or if you have an idea for a future endeavor, please, contact us. We have decided, contrary to our usually stringent content policies, to accept guest and reader contributions to our interview page.

Interviews and pitches may be submitted to magazine@syphmag.net.

Payment for all accepted contributions will be unmonetary, but of value. Speaking of which, Syphmag has a store. Thank you for your patronage.

Our thanks to those who have visited us at Canzine, Expozine, & etc.

Until next month, a friend of your heart of love, and your heart of practicality,

Nicolaas Van Roon, ed.

..
reposted by Syphmag friends, IT³.