Tag Archives: psychedelic

Arts and Culture

Holton Rower’s Psquirmour at The Hole

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Pour Painting
All Photos By Gail

One of our favorite artists that we’ve discovered at The Hole Gallery is Holton Rower, whose vibrant and visually captivating pour paintings can currently be seen at the gallery in a fun show entitled Psquirmour. For this exhibit, The Hole constructed a mini gallery within the gallery’s back room, where the exterior walls showcase a group of six new Pour Paintings, and the interior space highlights a new body of work called Squirms, which are controlled pours on a wood panel, presented more like traditional paintings in a rectilinear format.

Continue reading Holton Rower’s Psquirmour at The Hole →

Music, Pop Culture

Video Clip of the Week: Turbowolf, “Nine Lives”

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Caution: Heavy Rock Action Ahead! While I was initially drawn in by this video’s surreal, cut out animation, which reminds me so much of the mind blowing collage art of Fred Tomaselli, it’s the song’s relentless aural ass-kicking that keeps me clicking on the repeat button. With a solid ’70s vibe that cannot be denied, “Nine Lives” from British Rock Powerhouse Turbowolf also adheres to what I’d call “Classic Contemporary” Rock influences to sound something like Monster Magnet meets the original band called Alice Cooper with a T Rex chaser. Eeeexcellent.

According to vocalist Chris Georgiadis.”‘Nine Lives’ is a song about making the most of our limited time; about living with no regrets; about changing our attitudes towards death and about life. It’s a celebration of the known, unknown and everything in between.” The band’s new album, Two Hands, is out on April 6th, 2015 on Spinefarm Records. Like them on the FaceBook at This Link. Enjoy!

Turbowolf Band
Turbowolf: The Band

Arts and Culture

Sebastian Wahl’s Psychedelic Gravy for the Receptive Mind at Joseph Gross Gallery

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Sebastian Wahl 3 Mandalas
From Left, Kaleidoscope Vision (1 and 2) and Third Eye Vision, Collage Layered in Resin, 2014 (All Photos By Gail)

Because it is up for only one more week, you should make every effort to head to the Joseph Gross Gallery for Sebastian Wohl’s amazing solo exhibition, Psychedelic Gravy For the Receptive Mind.

Wahl is a Swedish artist now living in NYC who works with collage and lacquer in a manner similar to that of artist Fred Tomaselli, but on a much more cerebrally expansive scale. Geoffrey and I were fortunate to meet and chat briefly with Sebastian at the exhibit’s opening reception, back on February 12th, and when I mentioned how much his work reminded me of Tomaselli, he did confess to also being a fan, and offered that Tomaselli’s use of lacquer had been a tremendous influence on this new body of work.

Vahalla
Vahalla

To achieve his multidimensional effect, Wahl carefully places handmade papers and images between layers and layers of resin. The result is a collage time capsule with real shadows cast within each piece. “Collage is my medium, resin is just the gravy on top,” the artist states in the exhibits press release, adding that, “The mystical experience has always been a point of reference for my work so Psychedelic Gravy For the Receptive Mind seemed like a fitting title for the exhibition.”

Mandalla 4
Mandalla 4

Wahl’s goal is to trigger an awakening of imagination, spirituality and vision. In his work everything is balanced with the attention of a tightrope walker. This attention to balance transforms into symmetry and repetition in the three new circular works that he created for this exhibition. These three pieces are titled Kaleidoscope Vision (1 and 2) and Third Eye Vision (see the first photo in this post) and are loosely inspired by traditional Thangka painting.

The Conductress
The Conductress

Flying Lotus, VooDoo Chile, Kaliucifer
Juju Elves From Left: Flying Lotus, VooDoo Chile, Kaliucifer

Sebastian also created a new series of 7 small pieces that he refers to as the Juju Elves. The works are charged with positive energy and the intention of protecting their owner’s home.

Jimi Hendrix 4 and Jimi Hendrix 2
Jimi Hendrix 4 and Jimi Hendrix 3

He also did series of portraits of Jimi Hendrix, each one unique from the others.

Detail of Jimi Hendrix 2
Detail of Jimi Hendrix 3

12/21/12
12/21/12

Sebastian Wahl’s Psychedelic Gravy for the Receptive Mind will be on exhibit only through February 28th, at the Joseph Gross Gallery, Located at 548 W. 28th Street, Suite 243, in the Chelsea Gallery District.

Mandalla 1
Mandalla 1

Detail of Mandalla 1
Detail of Mandalla 1

Sebastian Wahl Signage

Music, Pop Culture

Video Clip of The Week: Holiday Mountain, “Motion Sickness”

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Heading up to the fabulousness that is Christmas, we are continuing in a Holiday celebratory mood here at The Gig, and thus feel it appropriate to introduce Holiday Mountain, a dance-pop trio from Austin, Texas, who bring on the drug-free hallucinogenic effects with their new video for “Motion Sickness.” Let the Acid Flashbacks begin!

“Motion Sickness” propels itself along aurally on a throbbing, undeniably funky beat that recalls George Clinton’s truly seminal “Automic Dog” — and you can’t lay claim to a much more authentic pedigree than that! I also noticed that, starting at around the 2 minute mark, a bit of what sounds like the theme from the “Inspector Gadget” cartoon works its way into the mix. That may be unintentional, but it totally works.

Holiday Mountain Tree

This clip features the band performing the song inside shifting triangles of light as the camera shifts from zooming close-ups to distant shots, while vocalist Laura Patino cuts a striking figure with her sassy pink tresses and vibrant, original since of festive fashion. For best results, Youtube recommends that you watch the video in full-screen. Be sure to focus your eyes on the center of the screen starting at about 2:40, and the swirling shapes and colors will have an effect on your eyes that lingers for several seconds after the video ends.

Patino offers that “The concept [for the video] was that this would be the first video that makes you trip for free.” She credits the idea to one of the band’s managers, whose film and TV production company, Onion Creek made the clip. Patino’s bandmates are Zander Kagle (Drums/Electric Percussion) and Bradley Will (Electric Bass/Synths).

“Motion Sickness”comes from the band’s upcoming album You Be You, which is due out early in 2015. Enjoy!

Holiday Mountain Band

Arts and Culture

Mike Weiss Gallery Presents Gymnasty By Cameron Gray

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Gymnasty VideoScreen Tunnel
Photo of Gymnasty Video Screen Archway Courtesy of Mike Weiss Gallery. All Other Photos By Gail!

Sometimes, you just need to visit an art exhibit that is a bit over-the-top and, well, insane. It doesn’t even have to make much sense; as long as it embraces an energetic, inspired feel and a kind of controlled, creative chaos that assures you that you are at the Most-Happening-Art-Reception in the Chelsea Gallery District at that very moment. That is how we felt when we entered the vortex of madness that is Cameron Gray’s Gymnasty, which opened at Mike Weiss Gallery on October 30th. Seriously, what a crazy fun scene! Continue reading Mike Weiss Gallery Presents Gymnasty By Cameron Gray →