I had this dream...

Recently in Japan, I had this dream I thought I'd share because it's so wonderfully messed up.
There was a message given to me or found by me that said something like 

"Einstürzende Neubauten 11:13"

- meaning I had to find the 13th song on their 11th album (or vice versa).
I wasn't sure what it meant so I asked this young woman who wouldn't tell me. It was important that I knew what it meant so I took her hand and put her finger in my mouth and then slowly bit it off. She didn't even flinch, and I pointed out how it was just like biting a Pocky stick.

"Share Happiness - or cannibalism..."

My partner Pauline heard this so she bit one of the girl's fingers off too.
She agreed it was like Pocky, so we decided to eat more fingers.
Then the scene dissolved to sort of a news report showing models on catwalks biting their own fingers off and the voice-over said something like:
"The new craze has seems to have taken off in a big way, even celebrities are getting in on it with rapper Kanye West going so far as to remove his own head."
Cut to a Kanye concert where the man in question in a black t-shirt pulls his own head off in one quick move.
Voice-over: "Luckily he had his face disguised as a baby to hide his otherwise grotesque features."
And sure enough, Kanye's headless body is holding a head that resembles a baby's, but it is obviously wearing make-up.
THE END

What a completely abhorrent dream! I love it!

Some pointers:
- not long before this dream I actually ate the head and wing of a sparrow on a stick I bought at Nishiki market (Kyoto) - not recommended. Even some of the market-stall holders were weirded out.
- Pocky is pretty good - recommended.
- I don't really know what Kanye does generally, I've heard maybe 2 or 3 songs from him, none that I can even remotely recall. (He's not my bag, baby.)
- Here's song 13 from album #11 (Lament) by Einstürzende Neubauten. It is called Der Beginn des Weltkrieges 1914 (Dargestellt unter Zuhilfenahme eines Tierstimmenimitators) - that is, The Beginning of World War in 1914, (Presented by an Animal Voice Imitator).

When I grow up, I will be Blixa's hands.

Excuse me, your inner self is showing

Just occurred to me that collages - MY collages anyway-, are a Rorschach Test. Supposedly surreal art reveals the inner workings of the 'artist', but I have to say for years I've been looking at my stuff and wondering what the Hell I'm doing. People ask "what does it mean?", and I have no idea, or the explanation I do have is so silly as to reveal nothing more except that I'm silly.

However, people insist that my pictures MUST have a meaning, so I ask them what they think it means and eventually they tell me - often seeing things there that I never did.

Conclusion: my collages are Rorschach Tests. You see a strange image and you must explain it, but only in terms YOU understand. This is how I see it... This is MY interpretation...

I mean seriously, what am I trying to say with this pikkie (below)? Anyone? Wanna Rorschach it?

"Och there's poop in my eye. laddie!"

Random thoughts on collage

1. Collage is not safe.
2. You do not connect with collage "intellectually" but "viscerally".

I tell you now I'm not speaking for all practitioners because 1) I don't know them; and 2) too many "craft" practitioners. Toooo many...

1.a - Collage that I do - not safe. If you want to make some money as an artist, take up painting, maaaaybe digitial art, but definitely painting. The idea that painting is proper art, capital "A" ART, is drummed into us all. People going to a gallery expect to see some "stuff" but definitely at least a painting or two. Otherwise it's not an art gallery, and you're just seeing weird shit or amateur crap. This is drummed into us early on.
So collage, is obviously amateur crap that anyone can do anyways. For you (me), the practitioner, this is not a safe path to take... Make sure you have a day job, kiddies!

2.a - Comprehension of the image is not necessary - but you do connect with it, on a gut level or some other no-words-for-it-but-it's-there level. You connect. How come? It makes no fucking sense and you're not dreaming, so how come?
For me the more incomprehensible the final image, the better it is. Something is happening - but what? - is a good enough response. Make mysteries, not answers!