Illustration and Articles

The Enigma of 27.

2011-10-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

Hendrix was one of the earliest members of 'The 27 Club'...

{reblogged from beatlesnumber9.com}

What is all of this about ‘The 27 Club’? Personally I’d not heard much about it until Amy Winehouse’s untimely death.

Well, apparently there are quite a number of musicians who have shrugged-off ‘this mortal coil’ at the age of 27. Spooky huh????? Except that it isn’t at all if you think about it in more logical terms…

After all, there have been plenty of other equally talented musicians who have checked-out at a different time of life altogether. And any death is tragic; regardless of age.

Once again, it more like a case of people looking for a morsel of ‘supernatural excitement’ where there isn’t actually any to be found. That’s what I think anyway.

Mind you, since I’m a (very) semi-skilled guitarist; I’m still damn pleased that I’m almost forty…

Batman - 'The Goth Father'.

2011-09-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

{reblogged from todo-sobre.com}

Goth has long played an integral part in the world of comics and thanks to this; we now have a superb choice of dark heroes and anti-heroes to choose from! But when you trace things back to the early days, it was ‘The Dark Knight’ (from the aptly named ‘Goth-am City’) who was the first shadowy character to start this trend…

Of course, things have changed considerably over the years with comic books, but Batman will always be seen as the true ‘Goth Father’. For without his dark influence, the comics of today would involve far less tortured psychology, that’s for sure. Even modern graphic novel geniuses such as Neil Gaiman would have far fewer ideas if it had not been for Bruce Wayne’s dark alter-ego.

So the next time you are reading an issue of ‘Sandman’ or ‘Death’; spare a thought for ‘The Batman’. He may now be seventy-two years old (!), but his black heart is still beating just as hard!

'Death' {reblogged from redbubble.com}

Voices of the Disillusioned.

2011-09-24T03:42:00.000-07:00

The poignant etching on the B-side of, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’.

{reblogged from Flickr}

It’s sad how people can write suicide notes whilst they are still alive which will go totally unnoticed until it is too late. Ian Curtis, the troubled singer from Joy Division did this time and time again… yet no-one realised what he was actually saying until it was too late.

But Mr Curtis (God Bless his dark erudite soul) was not the only singer to send out lyrical warning signs. You only have to read the words to Nick Drake’s, ‘Fruit Tree’ to get a similar sense of terrible things to come;

‘Fame is but a fruit tree

So very unsound.

It can never flourish

Till its stock is in the ground.

So men of fame

Can never find a way

Till time has flown

Far from their dying day.’

When we read these words now, it is all so clear. You cannot help but wonder if Ian Curtis, Nick Drake and so many other singer-songwriters would still be alive today if someone had heard their musical cries for help…

An Expiry Date for 'Artistic Licence'?

2011-09-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Another of Julian Beever's amazing illusions...

[reblogged from '4.bp.blogspot.com']

If prostitution is the world’s oldest profession, then art is most definitely its most ancient con.

Not sure if you agree? Read on…

Julian Beever is (at last) being recognised for what he actually is; a true artist. Photographs of his jaw-dropping optical illusions are now regularly featured in the national press and he even has a new book on the shelves.

But why is it that such an arguably talented guy is restricted to drawing on pavements??? Shouldn’t his work being taking pride of place in the world’s most prestigious art galleries?

Well, the answer is most definitely a resounding ‘YES’. However, the only problem is that valuable gallery space is being taken-up with (ahem) ‘proper art’ (lowercase ‘p’ on purpose).

It would seem that the movers and shakers in the art world deem unmade beds and pickled sheep to be far more pleasing to the eye and much closer to genius than Mr Beever’s work. And what a terrible shame this is.

Let’s hope that public pressure one day ousts these shallow-minded charlatans and replaces them instead with truly talented individuals!!!

After all, it is always best to hope that common sense will prevail...

'Flock' by Damien Hirst...

[reblogged from 'www.artchive.com']

Ongoing Projects #I.

2011-09-10T00:36:00.000-07:00

'Gel: The Nonentity.'

It's an idea that I got twenty years
ago. I suppose that it's about time I got on with it but it is a large and very formidable task...The other problem is that I'm well known for (amongst other things) being a bit of a perfectionist. That can be a real nuisance sometimes. 'Gel' has already had at least three completed
versions of the story and I'm still not entirely sure that I'm happy with the present one...

Watch this space and if there is
anyone out there who would find it appealing to work on 'Gel' with me
then I would be very, very interested!
Get in touch!

2011-09-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

Of Limbo.

Dayze of Diazepamic detachment,

Yet there are turbulent times to come.

Enormity on two counts now,

Yet there is nothing to mention in-between.

Time is a scalpel to create fleshly seams,

Yet it may also be here to lacerate my dreams.

Pessimism or positivity both inadequate,

Yet realism is always reliably relevant.

Time is going to tell; that is for sure,

Yet will I want to hear its voice?

‘I have seen all the things that are done under the sun;

All of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.’

Ecclesiastes 1;14

‘Scraping the Barrel’ (a Remake).

2011-02-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

The 'Fun' of turning a children's cartoon into a crap film...

Walking back from Tesco with heavy shopping bags and a craving for a strong cup of Rosy Lee… SHOCK! HORROR!

I am confronted by a poster on a phone box. ‘The Mechanic’ - I expel a heart-felt groan. As I get a little closer I see that this ‘exciting’ new release stars none other than Mr Charisma himself, Jason Statham. ‘Oh dear’ I think to myself and immediately become conscious of Charles Bronson turning in his grave.

Just what the hell has gone wrong with Hollywood??? Sure, it has always produced a good many crap movies, but there used to be some sort of balance with a few decent ones. However, these days, all there ever seems to be is a constant barrage of remakes or sad adaptions of cartoons (the latest being ‘Yogi Bear’ for God’s sake!).

Have they simply run out of ideas in ‘Tinsel Town’? It is certainly looking that way. Over the last ten years or so, there has been nothing but remakes of classic films, cinematic adaptations of TV shows or the aforementioned cartoon-to-movie thing.

We have had ‘Get Carter’ (relocated in America with Fishface Stallone), ‘The Dukes of Hazard’ (Blech!), ‘Scooby Doo’ (a once uber-cool retro cartoon), ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ (nuff said) and ‘True Grit’ (wasn’t the original good enough???). There is even talk of remaking ‘Metropolis’, the daddy of all Sci-Fi flicks. And if that is to happen, then the death penalty really does need to be re-implemented!

But Hollywood cannot be held entirely responsible for this catalogue of travesties; after all, thousands of people are flocking to the cinema every week to watch this bilge! And for as long as there is a demand for such rubbish, the film industry will be only too happy to keep banging out one naff movie after another! Money, money money….

So come on people; get a grip of yourselves!!! You are better than this and are well within your rights to demand more. Why make do with shite like this when it comes to ‘entertainment’????

The Masochistic Tendencies of The ‘Great’ British Public.

2011-02-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

Why are British people so bloody apathetic? We are world famous for our ‘reserved’ manner, but is this such a good thing??? Just think about all of the ridiculous decisions this ‘government’ are making to ‘save money’; it’s a wonder that they are not in danger of being dragged into the streets and beaten!

If this were all taking place in France, then there would have been a revolution by now. Or at the very least, there would be blockades and constant protests! It would just seem that we Brits don’t really care that much that our liberties are slowly being taken away. The most we ever do is to sit and bitch about it down at the pub. But once time has been called we return to our quiet lives without so much as a murmur.

It’s all a bit sad really. If we were more willing to stand up for ourselves, then this bunch of fools who are ruling us (or any other bunch) would have far less power over us all. We may even be allowed to have a smoking area somewhere warm when we are drinking our pint and moaning about politics!!!

‘Alternating the Alternative - Why the Music Industry Needs to Make Space for ‘Little Room’.’

2011-01-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

[featured video is 'Breaking Gnosis']
----------

Anyone with a penchant for dark, electronic and experimental music should take time to investigate ‘Little Room’. The modern music scene may have plenty to offer us in the way of diversity, but few bands actually emerge with a truly ‘polished’ sound. However, ‘Little Room’ manage to do exactly this. The demise of ‘Joy Division’ left a large vacuum in the genre of alternative rock which has never been properly filled. Could a London-based outfit like ‘Little Room’ make their mark where other groups have so often failed?
‘Little Room’ first came into being in South London during the early part of 2009. They are still based in the capitol and have played at a large number of venues in the area, including Brixton Jamm and Peter Parker’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Club. Each of the three musicians had spent time in other bands but they were becoming increasingly frustrated and disillusioned. These other groups did not appear to be breaking any new ground and were often lacking in true commitment.
The songs of ‘Little Room’ have a wide variety of influences; Punk, Acoustic, Breakbeat, Electronica, Drum and Bass and Indie Pop (to name but a few). This may sound a little unusual and perhaps even confusing, but the results are incredibly focused. The voice of Simon Howlett is clear and commanding, whilst the instrumentation of the band is both tight and professional. The singer cites his favourite bands as Radiohead, Interpol and Joy Division.
‘I really want to make experimental leftfield music which appeals to a mainstream audience’ explains Simon Howlett. That is quite a tough challenge for a young singer to set himself, but when listening to the band’s music it seems totally plausible. ‘Little Room’ may not make the type of music you would tap you foot along to on the radio, but you can easily imagine them getting plenty of airplay in the not-too-distant future.
‘Little Room’ have already recorded an excellent four track demo at Atomic Studios (owned by The Animal Farm record company) and ‘Breaking Gnosis’ is available for download on iTunes. Frustratingly however, their work in the recording studio has currently been placed on hold whilst they find a new drummer for the band. The unforeseen departure of their last one came about after he decided to move on to music with a heavier feel. The songs of ‘Little Room’ have gained quite a lot of attention from record labels and they have already been offered a deal by the Monotwin label.
The band consists of; Simon Howlett - Vocals/Guitar, Mark Fennell – Bass and Kyle Hall – Guitar. At present it is solely Simon Howlett who writes the tracks for the group, but he is hoping to call on the song writing skills of the other band members once a full line-up has been re-established.
For any additional news or information on ‘Little Room’ go to - http://www.myspace.com/littleroomuk or contact them direct at littleroom@hotmail.co.uk You can also catch them live at their first big gig of 2011 at - Hoxton Square, London N1 on: Saturday, 05 February 2011 at 09:00.

LOW

2011-01-21T21:23:00.001-08:00

These feelings don't have any windows
But these feelings are feelings only god knows
As the figures fade into the distance
You're at home now, need for resistance

Marble exterior so cold
But like magic your soul puts things on hold
The truth is you've heard it all before
Oh these feelings, the sea just brings you more

And you sink further into yourself
And you think only of yourself
And you sink further into yourself
When you sink wanting to be someone else
If this body is but a grain of sand
Then friend I need to take your hand
But these feelings have too many windows
But these windows are guarded by the angels
And you sink further into yourself
And you sink wanting to be someone else.

'SINKING' - JJ72

2011-01-21T21:21:00.001-08:00

‘SINKING’ – JJ72

These feelings don't have any windows
But these feelings are feelings only god knows
As the figures fade into the distance
You're at home now, need for resistance

Marble exterior so cold
But like magic your soul puts things on hold
The truth is you've heard it all before
Oh these feelings, the sea just brings you more

And you sink further into yourself
And you think only of yourself
And you sink further into yourself
When you sink wanting to be someone else

If this body is but a grain of sand
Then friend I need to take your hand
But these feelings have too many windows
But these windows are guarded by the angels

And you sink further into yourself
And you sink wanting to be someone else

'Redhead' - On artgallery.co.uk...

2009-08-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

MIK'S ARTICLES.

2009-07-29T04:21:00.000-07:00

If you would like to have a look at some articles that I've written then click on the link below to go to my page on Burisa.

http://www.bukisa.com/people/MikSmith

NEW ARTWORK FOR SALE ONLINE.

2009-07-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

Within the next few days I shall be putting some new pictures on Artgallery.co.uk.

These include what I think is some of my best work to date

(I really hope that you agree...).

If you fancy having a look then click on the link below.

http://www.artgallery.co.uk/artist/michael_smith_2
This is the best online art gallery that you will come across. They have a very good reputation and are fast and reliable to deal with.

There are a great selection of other artists on there as well as myself and there are literally thousands of pictures for sale.

NEW WORK ON ART GALLERY NOW!

2009-04-19T09:24:00.001-07:00

2009-04-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

'It's tough to make a living when you're an artist,

It's even tougher when you're socially conscious.'

Michael Franti

'Perfect Albums.'

2009-04-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

I have got literally hundreds of albums that I love but out of all of those there are very few 'Perfect Albums'.

Most cd's are 70%, 80% or even 90% perfect but ones that are truly flawless, that I would deem to be masterpieces, do not come along very often. There are a lot of albums that very nearly hit the mark but are let down by a weak spot. That weak spot might be only one song or only one section of one song.

Perfection is rare in all things. In music, in art, in film.

Here are some of my 'perfect albums'. To be honest, out of the many, many albums there are probably only a couple of others that I would place in the 'flawless' section.

I truly believe this but I also realise that 'perfection' is something different to each and every one of us.

These are just some of my 'Perfect Albums'.

2009-03-24T16:36:00.001-07:00

LINKS -

If you would like to have a look at some of my artwork then it is at -http://www.artgallery.co.uk/artist/michael_smith_2

And if you would like to have a look at some of my writing then it is at -

http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mik_R_Smith

Another Artist well worth checking out -

http://www.ashbuckingham.co.uk

HORSE is a singer with an amazing voice and a new album (Her 8th!)

http://www.randan.org/

An interesting new avant garde rock band -

http://www.lonelylondonlad

LITTLE ROOM are a cracking new band with some brilliant material -

http://www.myspace.com/littleroomUK