'I'm Never Always Anywhere' - 44 x 42 Acrylic on Canvas - 2019
Here
is a preview of 10 new paintings scheduled for release this coming winter…
Things
have been a little quiet on the blog front this year, as I've taken a temporary
hiatus from Film Noir, the genre that has artistically defined me since 2011,
to rekindle an old love affair with the experimental and revolutionary world of
French and Italian New Wave Cinema.
Bing-watching
my favourite films, tripping through 60's soundtracks, and indulging in the
concept of auteur theory as painting, I've returned to my illustrative
roots.
Here you won't find any shadow figures,
cryptic symbolism or cliche-shunning deportment, but rather just a cinephile
exploring the artistic possibilities that envelop the emotive spontaneity and vibrant
stylishness of Godard, Truffaut, Varda, Fellini, et al.
'Paris Belongs to Me' - 48 x 45 - Acrylic on Canvas - 2019
I
light a Gauloise bleu, before putting the finishing touches on Mastroianni's Persol
shades.
I contemplate
all that inspires me at the moment,
and I find my thoughts
drifting
far
away
from
the turbulent times
that
define us.
"The film of tomorrow will not be directed by civil
servants of the camera, but by artists for whom shooting a film constitutes a
wonderful and thrilling adventure." - Francois Truffaut
You know the images.
They've served as social commentary stunning the covers of TIME,
Newsweek, Esquire, Rolling Stone, and too many others to mention. You've also seen the videos created for such
iconic artists as U2, R.E.M., Iggy Pop, Metallica, The Ramones and Tom Waits -
the list goes on. But if you happened to
be a fellow artist living in Los Angeles in the late 80's and 90's, seeking
inspiration beyond the safe and predictable, the name Matt Mahurin evoked a
combination of admiration and consternation - a formidable figure in the LA art scene. Unarguably, if you knew his name…you were hip, and when he exhibited, you were there.
Matt Mahurin
Tom Waits - by Matt Mahurin
He was the one who landed the cover of TIME Magazine at the
age of 23; but if you thought you could imitate him with the dodging and
burned-edged photo manipulation, you could bet he was already putting the
finishing touches on something so innovative, that by the time you sussed out
the formula, he was striking out in newer and more unfathomable directions.
U2 - Love is Blindness - Matt Mahurin
Arles, France - Matt Mahurin
Lou Reed - Matt Mahurin
Tom Waits - Hell Broke Luce - Matt Mahurin
Matt Mahurin is no stranger to controversy, and his disquieting
imagery was rarely as blatantly demonstrated as in his infamous TIME magazine
mug shot photo manipulation of O.J. Simpson.
TIME Cover - O.J. Simpson - Matt Mahurin
Marilyn Manson - Matt Mahurin
Most of my readers are well familiar with his work; it's surrealistic
and provocative, and yes, it's dark; but the imagery is there to remind us that
dreams and nightmares often share the same shapes, and how they are interpreted
sometimes reveals more about the viewer than the originator.
Carnivale - Painting -Matt Mahurin
Now based in New York City, this California-born artist,
illustrator and film director's works are included in the permanent collection
of the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.
He is also the illustrator of three children's books,My Beautiful Child, Grumbles From The
Forest, and Once Upon A Cloud.
If I was asked to describe Matt Mahurin, multifaceted would
be my reply, but socially conscious would be what I'm thinking. Several months ago he illustrated his second
US postage stamp for Alzheimer's Awareness. As a documentary photographer, Matt has brought worldwide attention to the problems of homelessness, the AIDS epidemic and man's inhumanity to man within the US prison system.
Texas Prison - Matt Mahurin
Alzheimer's Awareness Stamp - Matt Mahurin
In 2015, he was commissioned by the UK band Muse, to create
the cover and video for their 7th album, 'Drones;' and he is perhaps more in
demand now than ever before, which accounts for the year-long 'jump cuts' the
proceeding interview has taken us to hammer out! Ironically, however, that somehow seems
appropriate.
Muse - DRONES - Matt Mahurin
Above all, Matt Mahurin is an artist with a keen awareness that
the lines between the creation of art and its reflection of the society in
which we live should never be blurred, if they are to withstand the test of
time. To provoke, as a creative, is to
inspire one to not only recognise the beautiful, but to embrace the darkness
that exists within each of us.
For over
three decades, this is exactly what he's been doing, and it is this fearless
approach and fluency within a realm of materials, from the purity of paint and
palette to the masterful skill of digital media, that has encouraged others to create
beyond the boundaries of acceptable limits, and allowed him to seamlessly evolve throughout
the decades, whilst solidifying his rank amongst the very best of his peers.
Photo Credit - New York Times
GH: The first time I heard the name Matt
Mahurin was back in the late 80’s in reference to the video you did for REM’s
“Orange Crush” – which according to Michael Stipe, was not about the soft
drink, heroin or acid tabs, but rather “…about the Vietnam War and
the impact on soldiers returning to a country that wrongly blamed them for the
war.” I’ve never forgotten the haunting images in that video. Can
you tell me more about the narrative running through it, particularly the juxtaposition
of the solider and the little boy?
MM: It’s not my thing to explain what a piece means
– although I can say that my intention in every creative endeavor is to put as
much of myself into it as possible. Whether I’m collaborating with brilliant
artists like REM, U2, or Tom Waits to name a few, I believe I am chosen to
contribute my ideas and emotions to present a visual exploration of these
amazing musical talents.
Over the years, I have done countless projects
on the horrors of war and simply feel fortunate to be able to have the
opportunity to express my feelings and opinions in a format that has a global
reach.
GH: I consider you an artist with a social
conscience. You’ve illustrated and worked as a photo essayist concerning
such heady topics as homelessness, the AIDS epidemic and man’s general
inhumanity to man – I am referring to your work with Time and Newsweek,
etc. Can you tell me how you made the transformation from creating within
the purview of a solitary illustrator to working in the highly social realm of
directing music videos?
MM: Whatever technical skills or creative styles I
possess, I have always believed the message of the image is most important, and
most lasting. Whether it’s standing alone in my studio or surrounded by a rock
stars and a killer crew on a sound stage, I will use every format to express my
opinions. It is both an honor and a thrill to be given the resources and
respect to offer my point of view on so many important issues and concerns of
my time.
GH: In 1993, you did a video made
especially for the AIDS/HIV benefit. It was for one of my favourite 90’s
bands, Urge Overkill, and the song was “Take A Walk.” It’s really a beautiful
reflection of the song - from the psychedelic images meshing with the sitar to
the pills being automatically swallowed to the lyrics, "I don’t pray anymore – I
don’t love anymore." As a video director, how do you work with metaphor
and deciding when to stay true to lyrical content and when to stray to more
personal or even surrealistic interpretation?
Take A Walk - Urge Overkill - Matt Mahurin
MM: Like any successful endeavor in life it is
always about a healthy balance. When I shot the AIDS piece, I simply immersed
myself in a new world, in this case, an AIDS hospice, and then went about the
journey of capturing and responding to those moments and gestures that I
believe would most honestly and deeply convey my intention. For this piece the
challenge was to balance the tragedy of AIDS with the humanity of those who
devote themselves to bring comfort to those who suffer. I do my best with every
project to fuse the truth of my subject’s world with the intuition of my mind’s
eye.
AIDS Hospice - Matt Mahurin
GH: As an artist who naturally gravitates
towards the darker side of things, I find your work comforting, however many
consider it tenebrous if not a little disturbing at times. Someone
pointed out to me in reference to the male shadows in my paintings that Jung
considered the shadow an unconscious aspect of the personality. You also
have a reputation for frequently using your own image in your creations.
This seems highly personal to me – affirming a tangible connection to your
work. Are your videos entirely tailored to your clients or will
there always be the aspect of subjective artistic integrity embedded within
them?
MM: Using myself in the work is often more a result
of efficiency as I often have to work under tight deadlines—and there is no
time to find a model. It is also an issue of control as I don’t have to worry
about conveying my needs to another’s interpretation.
My videos must of course suit the needs of my
clients, but I would only do this work if I felt I had great freedom and
opportunity to express my personal point of view and creative vision.
When creating the videos I believe that the
artist has given me their song as a soundtrack to my little movie. Because of
the powerful artists I work with, I must present a strong vision to avoid the risk
of my visuals being overwhelmed by the intensity and quality of their music.
Although I will sometimes be very focused on a specific storyline, I often choose
a more open-ended approach to the narrative; allowing the viewer to interpret
the images with a more personal and poetic response.
GH: I’ve watched your work evolve
throughout the years from illustration to music video to film. As well,
your photographic prints now reside within the permanent collection of The
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. No matter what medium or
modality, there is an unmistakable ‘look’ to any Matt Mahurin creation, and you
appear to be someone who knew from the beginning what visual image he wanted to
project to the world. What is your advice to young artists regarding
belief in one’s own vision; or is flexibility a more important asset and
definitive ‘style’ something that must be earned?
MM: I deeply believe that whether it’s a camera,
paintbrush or computer, these are simply different tools in the same hand.
Whatever accomplishments I have achieved is as much a product of my failures
(of which there have been countless) as it is of my successes.
What I believe is most important to true success
is to be true to one’s beliefs and desires—and to not be afraid to take risks
and speak up. I also believe being a solid professional is the foundation to
creative freedom—to handle the challenges of the real world demands while still
preserving the freedom to create with abandon and conviction.
And finally, to love what you do, trust
yourself, and believe that what you have to offer as a creative being is not
only unique and worthy, but has the power to truly enhance the lives of others.
GH: Lastly, I was really excited to see
your cover design for the Muse album Drones. Much like the social
commentary in Orange Crush, Muse’s 2015 concept album concerns the
dehumanization of modern warfare. How did the project with Muse come
about and what was it like working with the band?
MM: I was being considered to direct a video, but I
brought all my social/political illustrations to the meeting because of the
band’s commentary on abuse of power, social injustice, and authoritarianism.
The band were in synch with my point of view and
the project just kept growing to include more images on crucial issues.
Because of the global reach of Muse’s fans, it
was exciting to be able to connect with an entire new generation of young
people with images with a message.
GH: Thanks, Matt. Looking forward to the next three decades!
Thank you to my collectors & galleries for another great year! Special thanks to the beautiful A
Gallery in El Paseo for an incredible day, and what I'm sure will be a very successful exhibit! Whether you're a snow bird, fortunate enough to call it home, or just travelling through Palm Desert, California, be sure to stop by the gallery and check out the new collection.
For now, I'm retreating back to
the drawing board - I've been commissioned to design a double album cover for
Australia's Paper Kites, which I'm really excited about. Having a blast working with Sam Bentley & co. I'm ending 2017 with an exclusive interview
with iconic artist/photographer/film director, Matt Mahurin. With a roster of clients that include U2, REM,
Muse, Tom Waits, Rolling Stone Magazine
and too many others to list here - I can't wait to share this one!
Wishing everyone Happy Holidays. Thank you all for your support. Please continue to support ALL of the arts - it's never been more crucial.
On 20th July 1989, a talented young musician from
Northhampton, England was on the eve of making his debut as guitarist for the
avant-garde neo-psych trio Spacemen 3.
Jason Pierce, Pete Kember and Natty Brooker were quickly amassing a cult
following for their hypnotic droning sound and stage antics, including the
11-minute, deafening trace-like 'Suicide,' and the cleverly titled 1990
release, 'Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To.'
Mark Refoy was about to join the roster that throughout its
9-year history, was looselycomprised
of an equal number of alternating members, including Will Carruthers (Brian
Jonestown Massacre), the late Natty Brooker, and Jonny Mattock (Massive Attack,
The Breeders), to mention a few, but most notably, and to paraphrase Mark, Spacemen
3 will probably always be remembered as the brainchild of its two most
predominant and founding members, Jason (J Spaceman) Pierce and Pete (Sonic
Boom) Kember, both ironically born 19th November 1965, in Rugby.
Having already fronted his own band, Tell Tale Hearts, Mark's whirlwind tenure with Spacemen 3 included
gigs at London's Town & Country Club, Subterranea, in West London, and the
Reading Festival in August '89, where the band joined headliners, New Order;
but it wasn't long thereafter, during the making of their fourth, and what would
become their final album, 'Recurring,' that the Pierce/Kember artistic
relationship was beginning to dismantle. Taking great
pains booking separate recording schedules in order to avoid contact with each another, the
pair's prophetically irreparable estrangement signaled the beginning of a split
so well documented in the media, that to this day, it rivals RKID - Oasis's battling brothers - in its acrimony.
Not surprisingly, the band's remaining members, namely Carruthers,
Refoy and Mattock had begun to feel creatively stifled, and were growing
disillusioned with the increasingly laconic atmosphere surrounding their fellow
Spacemen.
By January of 1990, Kember had
already sewn the seeds of a solo project, Spectrumand Pierce, anxious to get back on tour, had invited the band's
remaining members to join his fledgling side project, Spiritualizedwhich enjoyed critical acclaim most notably for
Mark's titled, 'Lazer Guided Melodies,' and 1997's, 'Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space.'Spiritualized
additionally had the distinction of being the last band to play at Manchester's
iconic, 'Hacienda.'
For those who don't know, the band name was inspired by the
back label of a bottle of Pernod, presumably 'spiritueux,' which if you've ever
experienced the end of a bottle of absinthe, I suppose spiritualized is more than
a remote possibility.
'Recurring,' released in 1991, two years after the band's official breakup,
is a beautifully fractured departure, the 2-part juxtaposition leaving no doubt
as to Kember's rhythmic, innovative genius, nor Pierce's ability to produce
entrancingly atmospheric sounds, independent of one another.
Artwork - Laser Guided Melodies - Natty Brooker
Mark Refoy (Spiritualized)
For Mark Refoy, his time spent in Spacemen 3 and co-founding
Spiritualized was well served; but following on the heels of his restless band
mates, he was eager to branch out and intent on regaining creative control. The exodus would prove to be a wise move, as
over the years Refoy has consistently proven himself to be a skillful musician
in his own right, enjoying success as the creator of the Britpop,
electronic band, Slipstream, releasing two initial albums, Slipstreamand Be Groovy or Leave, followed by Transcendental in 2003, and in 2008, 'Mantra,' produced by Pete
Gleadall (Pet Shop Boys, David Bowie, George Michael, Tina Turner, U2) in 2008, and Stereo Brain / Mono Heart, in 2013.
In 2005, Mark was recruited by Neil Tennant
and Chris Lowe, The Pet Shop Boys, to
join their World Tour, including headlining the Live 8 Concert in Moscow.
These days, Slipstream has streamlined itself to mainly Mark
and Mattock, each veteran Spacemen, and both Northhampton lads with a love for rock
n' roll, if not more than a few tales to tell...
In October of this year, Slipstream released a brand new album, 'Out of the Blue,' which presented the perfect excuse for me to catch up with Mark, something I've been meaning to do for a while now.
GH: So you grew up in Northampton. What
music were you listening to as a kid, and did you and Jonny (Mattock) know each
other before Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized?
MR: As a kid my parents would play a lot of music
at home. My dad loved opera and classical music, so did my mum, but she also
liked country, jazz and early rock n roll. I think that filtered through to my
subconscious in some way. My mum used to sing us Red River Valley at night. After
the age of about 9 or 10 I was heavily into pop music.
Apparently when I was
about 5 I was transfixed by The Beatles on TV, but I have no recollection of
that. My parents didn’t like the pop music of the time and they actively
encouraged us to turn the TV off whenever pop music came on. I don’t blame them
at all, I’d do exactly the same right now given the current state of pop music!
I loved Slade and TRex until I was about 12 and my uncle bought me the Beatles
62-66 red compilation and after that I was hooked, still am.
I was
aware of Jonny Mattock before, because he and I are both from Northampton and
we’d go to local gigs and play at local venues in our respective bands; Jonny
played drums for The Apple Creation and I was in Tell Tale Hearts. We also
worked in the same local mental hospital, St Crispins, he was a cleaner and I
was a nursing assistant. We’d see each other about there.
GH:
Would you say the success you've achieved is luck and being in the right place
at the right time, or is 'I know my craft and I've earned it' a better
description?
MR: It’s a combination of both, you won’t be
successful without one complementing the other. Although whether I’ve ever been
a ‘success’ is debatable. My main notion of success is when you’re playing an
idea and it turns into a song you’re happy with and you get that feeling of
‘this is good!’
GH: Was
there any one defining moment in the formation of Slipstream, when you said to
yourself, 'I've outgrown Spiritualized and I need to be doing my own thing?'
MR: I never wanted to leave Spiritualized, but it
was engineered in such a way that I couldn’t remain in the band any longer. I
think Jason was doing me a favour at the time but I didn’t see it until years
later.
Slipstream came about purely by accident. I was doing songs and demos of
my own while I was in Spiritualized. I sent some tapes out under my own name
and Che Records managed to get hold of one, I didn’t actually send a copy to
them, they heard the songs and said they wanted to do a single so they put
Sundown out. I didn’t have a band, it was just me and Jonny Mattock so when Che
said ‘you need a band name’ I rifled through my record collection for
inspiration and two Van Morrison songs came to mind, ‘Queen Of The Slipstream’
and ‘Astral Weeks’ where he sings ‘If I ventured in the slipstream….’ So I
thought, I’ll call this band Slipstream.
GH: How
would you describe your artistic process? Do you and Jonny collaborate on
music and lyrics?
MR: My artistic process is when I casually strum
and noodle away on whatever guitar is at hand and when it starts to sound good
I’ll boot up Logic and try and get a song going. Or I might start with Logic
first and do it that way. The music comes first and then I’ll try, without
thinking too much, to do the words.
We
collaborate on music but not lyrics. Jonny has started writing songs on his
own. ’Like No Other’ is his which is on our latest single and album. We will
work on our own material together, usually at my place and then send it to Pete
Gleadall who mixes it at his studio in London, which is another whole creative
artistic process in itself because he is a bona fide production/mixing genius.
GH: Not
that this is ever likely to happen, but if Spacemen 3 were to reunite, would
you want to be a part of it again?
MR: For me Spacemen 3 was always Jason and Pete.
The two of them could go out on their own and it would be Spacemen 3, or if
they hired a whole backing band with a choir and orchestra it would still be
Spacemen 3. That’s how I see it anyway.
I don’t have any real desire to be a
part of it again, but you never know how you’ll feel about these things until
they actually happen and in this case, it ain’t happening baby!
GH: How
did touring with Pet Shop Boys come about and did you know Neil and Chris previously?
MR: I didn’t know Neil and Chris before playing
with them but obviously I was very aware of them. I knew Vanessa Best, the
bassist from Ultrasound and she was friends with Bic Hayes who was in
Levitation and Dark Star. Bic got the job playing live guitar with Pet Shop
Boys, they wanted another guitarist so they asked him if he knew anyone who
could do it so Bic asked Vanessa if I was up for it and that’s how it came
about. I think they really wanted Johnny Marr because he’d played on the Release
album they were about to tour but he wasn’t available. It was a great
experience, I learnt a lot and they’re great people to work for. I met Pete
Gleadall through the Pet Shop Boys, he’s been their musical right hand man for
decades.
GH: When
you look back at your career with Spacemen 3, Spiritualized and Slipstream,
what would you say is your fondest memory, and what, if anything, would you
just as soon forget?
MR: One thing that I remember with Spacemen 3 is
playing the Reading Festival in 1989. It was a massive gig and I think we blew
pretty much everyone off stage even though we went on stupidly early in the
afternoon. Someone threw a boot and it just missed me. Can’t please everyone!
I have
great memories of being on tour in Spiritualized, especially the early days. We
were generally having a laugh most of the time and enjoying ourselves, which was
contrary to how we were perceived by the fans and music press etc. Jason has a
great sense of humour.
I have
a memory of being in America with Slipstream, and I was daydreaming in a cab
going over a bridge in New York and I thought, ‘the only reason I’m here at
this point in time is due to me obsessively playing my beat up old nylon string
guitar in my bedroom when I was a kid along to the first Clash album from
beginning to end.’
GH: How
do you feel about the future of music in Britain, and are there any new bands
you're excited about right now?
MR: I don’t really feel anything about the future
of music in Britain, I’m only concerned with the here and now. Where I work, the
channel of choice on TV is 4 Music, which plays all the latest chart stuff. 99%
of it I can’t relate to but the one song sticks in your head every now and
then, I can’t remember what the last one was though!
I
recently bought an album by Bicep called Bicep and an album by Forest Swords
called Compassion. I don’t know if they’re bands in the accepted sense of the
word but it’s music that I’m excited about right now.
GH: So
Logic Pro is banned and you can take only one guitar to the desert
island...what's it going to be?
MR: Either one of two: a Gretsch Jim Dandy
acoustic or a beat up old three quarter size classical nylon string acoustic.
Either one will do me.
GH: Who
are your heroes?
MR: My heroes, chronologically, would be Noddy
Holder, John Lennon, Joe Strummer, Lou Reed, Johnny Thunders, Bernard Sumner,
Kraftwerk and a whole host of others. But you think differently about ‘heroes’
the older you get. I still admire my heroes from younger days but they don’t
figure in my life as much as they used to. But hell, if I watch some old
electrifying Clash footage or hear Rock n Roll music by The Beatles, woah, I’m
down with them!
GH: Thanks, Mark, it's always a pleasure!
Coming soon - Interviews with author Stewart Home, artist Matt Mahurin, and more on my album collaboration with Australia's Paper Kites. Until then, check out the new American-Noir originals at El Paseo's A Gallery, Friday 1st December, 2017.
