DISDEINEN.NET - terrifying artwork, chilling discussion

A Boy Born From Mold

Thu, 13 May 2010 19:10:17 -0700

Continuing his Gothic fairy-tale short stories, Author Lorin Morgan Richards has produced a new limited-edition hand-made book entitled "A Boy Born From Mold (and other delectable morsels)".

This book (the second I have reviewed by the author) is in the style of what came before, and as a complete package it works wonderfully. Beautifully typeset, with quaint hand-drawn illustrations, "A Boy Born From Mold" contains numerous short stories (some as short as two pages) that are all entertaining and imaginative.

It is the highly imaginative nature of these stories that makes them unique -- there is no attempt to create a sense of reality: these stories are simultaneously fantastic and charming, and told with a seemingly reassuring voice that invites you to suspend disbelief.

If you have an opportunity to pick up one of the author's books, I recommend doing so -- you will not be disappointed.

And Now the Nightmare Begins

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:39:51 -0700

A collection of written work and visual art published at The Horror Zine.

Edited by Jeani Rector, published by BearManor Media, 2010.

"And Now the Nightmare Begins" is a collection of short stories, poems, and illustrations -- the title should leave no doubt as to what to expect, and if you are a fan of quality horror writing this book will not disappoint.

About two-thirds of the book is made up of short stories: tales of the uncanny and the grotesque told with subtlety and style -- cliches are thankfully avoided, and the stories consistently engaging. I can honestly say I did not find a dull (or poorly written) story in the collection -- in my experience this is rather rare, and really speaks to the numerous (relatively unknown) writers out there with legitimate talent. I think editor Jeani Rector deserves a nod here as well -- she has a discerning eye and it really shows in this thoughtfully assembled collection.

While the entire book is worth a thorough read, there were a few works that really stood out: "Ghost of Roses" by Debra Young, "The Bus Station" by Jeani Rector, and the poetry of Kate Bernadette Benedict. The illustrations of Ignacio Bernacer Alpera and Ryan Doan in particular set a mood that makes it almost necessary to read this book by candlelight.

Be sure to explore The Horror Zine and all the content it has to offer -- you will not be disappointed.

John U. Abrahamson: Flesh and Blood

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:36:00 -0700

Some people may have conflicting opinions about the work of John U. Abrahamson. After all, it is not every day that a solo exhibition is mounted featuring the artists' harvested flesh and blood as a creative element -- viewers who let that one element overwhelm them will quite possibly be doing so at the expense of the overall message, however. To appreciate the whole, one must resist the urge to focus on the individual elements.

The exhibition, titled "Flesh and Blood" (showing at Bert Green Fine Art), is an impressive combination of painted work, installation, and writing (there is also an audio component, created by another artist) -- in total the product of a years' creative efforts. Taken together, the elements form an interesting representation of being: highly surreal paintings as the imagination, written work as the intellectual, and harvested flesh and blood as the physical -- in a way, the artist has presented a very intimate representation of himself.

I had the opportunity to pose some questions to the artist -- the answers are very candid, and hint at the ongoing artistic process.

Disdeinen.net: Tell me a bit about your background as an artist...

John U. Abrahamson: Background... Well, I was born in Chicago which I mention only because the essence of the city has stayed with me in my work even though I left a long time ago.

My mother disappeared with another man when I was 7, leaving myself and my sister who was 5 at the time with my father. Again, I mention because I have not done a single series my entire career that didn’t include at least one painting that was devoted to good old mom.

My father on the other hand was great. Human but great. He indulged my every artistic whim. When I wanted to board up all the windows of my room, paint the walls to look like stone and build a life size coffin to sleep in at the age of 12 he didn’t blink an eye. He just said “draw up some plans, figure out what you need and we will go to the lumber store and buy it together.” He has championed my work ever since. He even helped me get the installation together for this current show.

From my earliest days until I was 20 something I was deeply religious. I was swinging incense the good majority of my young life. A relationship that did not end well although the influences of the Church and my fight with my own faith have played heavily into my work to this day.

I was never taught the basic fundamentals. I brought in some sketches I did for fun to the art department at my High school at 15 and was put into independent studies. I didn’t even know what a color wheel was for. So I taught myself by endlessly studying the masters works like Michelangelo and Di Vinci for drawing, Rembrandt and Dali for light and shadow. Then once I found my legs a little bit I found H.R.Giger and Hieronymus Bosh.

College was a joke. I went to the Art Institute of Chicago for my studies, worst years of my artistic life I might add. Actually, I take that back. I was taught one of the most important things that anyone has ever taught me. Write 3 pages a day, everyday in a journal. No dates, no sketches nothing but thoughts via words. This show is a direct result of that one suggestion.

I moved out of my home town and lived in numerous other cities such as San Diego, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and then San Francisco where I reside today.

D.net: What was the inspiration behind your current exhibition? Do you see a progression or common themes from your past to your current work?

JUA: I had not painted for a long time. Divorce, marriage, the birth of my first and only son took front stage. But I had been writing furiously as it was the one thing that kept me from completely falling off the edge. I knew I wanted to do something with the 30-220 page journals that resulted from this 1 year period of my life. Painting wise, I remember the morning. I just started to paint again and woke up after about 3 hours of sleep to face the day, looking in the mirror and basically saw the painting “Bathroom.” I was crazed to put it down in a sketch. That is how it started. I began to explore the regrets, the sloth and waste of my life coupled with the horrible witness to the decay of my own body.

I do see a progression but not in the traditional sense. I usually try to break with the work that came before. My last series before “Flesh and Blood” was the “Icons” series. That series dealt almost exclusively with my own spirituality and my anger at a god I no longer believed in. “Flesh and Blood” was very much grounded in the corporeal and the temporal.

D.net: Writing seems to play a central role in your latest work -- is there a specific theme you identified in your journals that relates to the human body?

JUA: Yes. I noticed that I was increasingly devoting more and more of my writing to the ravishes of age and the inevitable mortality of the body. It became an obsession.

D.net: The paintings in this exhibition carry some strong and abstract imagery -- explain how this imagery relates to the journals and harvested flesh...

JUA: This is a complex relationship. The journals documented moments in my life. The paintings brought those moments to life but not as illustration but as shorthand to the experience the pages evoked. The flesh was necessary because of the dialog between the paint and the word. How could I not have included it?

D.net: I imagine there would be rather polarized opinions about this exhibition -- what is the message or emotional impact you hope your audience will take away from viewing this work?

JUA: I don’t want anything to be blunt. I create these angels or monstrosities for my own reasons. When they leave the studio they then belong to whom ever is viewing them at that particular moment and time. Why I painted them no longer has any meaning because the viewer will look at the work through the filters of their own life experiences and may have a completely different meaning to them than I had at the time of creation. And I believe is just as valid as my own.

D.net: I understand there is a "soundtrack" to this work -- how did you come to the decision to incorporate audio? Did you have a specific "sound" in mind?

JUA: Again a complex relationship. We found each other and the relationship grew from a common desire but it was not a planned partnership. Just two sets of artistic energies feeding off each other in a positive way. I know that is vague but I suppose that would be the best way to describe it.

D.net: Do you see the themes you have explored with this exhibition being part of your future work?

JUA: I have no idea where my work will take me next. Where I must go I suppose. So the answer is, I don’t know.

Read more about Flesh and Blood and the work of John U. Abrahamson on his blog.

The Pledge of Darkness

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:49:30 -0800

To the darkness I pledge my soul,
The great darkness which completes me,
and makes me whole,
The darkness,
Primal essence of great destruction and horror,
Bearer of the macabre and the obscure,
I pledge myself to you forever more,
Master of nightmares and shadows,
Hold me tightly in your grasp,
Fill my heart up completely,
With that which makes men gasp,
Darkness,
My leader and my lord,
It is you who I adore,
Only you understand my pains and my sorrows,
You are the key to my tommorrow,
You never judge me,
and you never quarrel,
Your loyalty is for keeps,
Never borrowed,
When I fall,
You are there to catch me,
When I hurt,
You are there to heal me,
When I am lost,
You reveal the way,
When my enemies attack,
You make them pay,
Darkness oh darkness,
I am forever loyal to you,

To set the Halloween mood...

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:55:24 -0700

Review: Paranormal Activity

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:58:26 -0700

Paranormal Activity is to haunting what the Blair Witch Project was to being lost in the woods -- this will likely mean you either thoroughly enjoy this film or completely hate it.

As a fan of The Blair Witch Project (I saw it before really knowing what it was about, so the story really drew me in) I expected to enjoy the idea of Paranormal Activity, but based on the website and trailers didn't really know much about the story. In fact, the trailers seem to spend more time focusing on the audience reaction than actually telling you about the film -- this might be a brilliant marketing move, as with this type of the film the less known in advance the better.

The story is told through the amateur film making of Micah, the subject being he and his fiancee Katie's experiences with an unknown presence in their house. From the outset, Micah approaches the subject with almost giddy enthusiasm, but beyond his desire to record everything doesn't appear to take the issue seriously. Katie on the other hand, does not see any humor in the situation and only wants to be rid of the problem -- as it turns out this is not her first experience with paranormal phenomenon.

It is hard to go into much more detail without giving away the story, so I will only add this: the difference in attitude between the characters really drives this film -- it creates palpable tension beyond the immediate subject and allows you to emotionally connect with the characters... you actually care about what happens to them.

From a production standpoint this film is not really new territory -- everything shot hand-held, there is no artistic cinematography here (which is appropriate). The sound design was very carefully handled, and I must say there were some truly terrifying moments off-camera where all you have to focus on is sound. If you watch this film at home, try to have the audio run through a really good sound system (preferably with a sub-woofer) -- the audio is really that good, and without it the film would lose much of it's impact.

It's rare that I would watch this type of film more than once, but after writing this I am tempted to see it a second time -- this is a thoroughly enjoyable film, and the perfect thing to watch on a rainy evening with all the lights off... light a few candles, sit back, and prepare to be scared.

Simon Snootle and Other Small Stories

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:03:36 -0700

When I first opened the envelope I was taken completely aback by the physical construction of this book. From the inset hard-cover to the luxuriant quality of the paper this is a book you almost want to leave on display as a piece of art.

The physical beauty of this book is no mistake: author Lorin Morgan Richards hand-made it.

Simon Snootle and Other Small Stories is a collection of short works, which all together make what seems like a Gothic storybook. The overall effect is darkly charming and rather romantic, an effect brought together by the pen-and-ink illustrations and choice of typography, which has a slightly rough quality. The stories are economical (some no longer than a page), and all have a literary feel to them, something that makes one think this book heralds from a different era.

It is obviously quite rare to come across a hand-made book, so I decided to ask the author to elaborate on the influences behind this very creative work.

Disdeinen.Net: The feel of the paper and the cover design really enhance the illustrations -- did you have a specific aesthetic in mind when choosing the materials?
Lorin Morgan Richards: In choosing my materials I wanted to keep an organic feel to the book. Some might consider this an art book, but I was really just trying to give it some life. Having seen what is being printed by majors these days with poor quality paper, I wanted to provide the reader with a book that carries more value near the same price and that can last for generations. Nothing would be more inspiring to me than to know my books are treasured like an heirloom.

DdN: Was there any particular inspiration for the book -- did you have a theme in mind that the stories were written for?
LMR: Inspiration has come from dreams and life experiences. For example, my first story 'Simon Snootle' about a boy that has fallen into a cistern with the neighborhood cats is inspired by my childhood when I always had like 20 cats around, and we did use a well and cistern, a type of holding tank, for our bath water instead of being hooked in to city water pipes. This meant that there were times we had to go down and clean the cistern out. There, I remember seeing all sorts of strange things like fish and frogs and could never figure out how they appeared. Over time I realized they must have either fell in, came from birds, or originally been bucketed from the well.

DdN: How long have you been making books? What kind of time commitment is involved with producing this type of book?
LMR: This is my second book. The first of which has been shelved temporarily. I have been writing stories since I was a child, and my other muse is of course music. Each book takes approximately 1 and half hours to make by hand. Thankfully, bookbinding can be very therapuatic.

DdN: The illustrations have a distinctive look -- were they created using illustration software or "classical" techniques (ie: pen-and-ink), and what was the reason for using the technique you did?
LMR: I prefer the use of pencil, pen and ink. However I'm not opposed to use watercolor sparingly. My interests are in the Victorian and Edwardian era illustrators, and I have a deep fondness for the use of early woodcuts and old quilting patterns.

DdN: What would you consider the intended audience for these stories?
LMR: My audience mainly consists of those that enjoy satire and dark humor. People that take themselves too seriously probably would not get my jokes.

DdN: Name a few of your favorite writers, visual artists, or filmmakers -- what inspires you about their work?
LMR: Local to Los Angeles, I appreciate cartoonist Angus Oblong and Roman Dirge. I also find the old Victorian photo manipulation of Mark Mothersbough entertaining, as well as films by Crispin Hellion Glover. Outside of authors like Edward Gorey, Edward Lear, and Charles Addams, I find folktales and their origins very interesting. A few years back, I took a trip through Germany following the fairytale road, the path by which the Grimms Brothers collected their stories (they were actually first collected by Frau Viehmannin). It was fascinating to see how local customs affected the stories. For instance, in the story of little red riding hood the red cloak and outfit the child wore was traditional to that specific area [Schwalmstadt]. So I went on to study folklore in college, and focused on Native American cultures.

DdN: Do you have any new projects in the works? If so, can you tell a bit about them?
LMR: I am currently writing a new novel about the caretakers of a funeral home, and I have another set of short stories I am finishing up for next year entitled 'A Boy Born from Mold'.

Gently tapping at your door...

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:23:46 -0700

We've got a few reviews coming up... a couple of new albums, and a terrific little book. Be patient... and check back next week for the latest posts!

Untitled2

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:28:38 -0700

Original Size: 14x17
Prismacolor pencil and India ink wash

Review: Legion Within - Mouth of Madness

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:07:07 -0700

As many have said before -- and will say after -- the Pacific Northwest seems to be the ideal breeding ground for the Industrial/Gothic genre. Is it the weather? Whatever of the reason, Seattle-based Legion Within is an excellent example of the original musical projects calling this perennially rain-swept environment home.

Legion Within's fourth album, Mouth of Madness, has a terrifically confident and unique sound -- club-friendly beats (Someone's Speaking), ambient (Memories of You), and rock influences (Mouth of Madness, the title track) can all be found here. To my ears there are some diverse musical influences at work on this album: guitar that at times would be at home in a PJ Harvey song, electronics and beats reminiscent of Angel Theory, and of course deep romantic vocals that are simultaneously familiar and yet defy any direct comparison.

Mouth of Madness has certainly made it into my daily rotation -- there are some stand-out tracks that are rapidly becoming some of my favorite songs. This is an album that I highly recommend.

Visit the official Legion Within website here.

Gothic: Dark Glamour exhibition at The Museum at FIT

Sun, 03 May 2009 15:21:13 -0700

Unfortunately the Gothic: Dark Glamour exhibit at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology is over but the website lives on.

Curated by Valerie Steele, author of "The Corset: A Cultural History" (Yale University Press, 2001)and "Fetish: Fashion, Sex and Power" (Oxford University Press, 1996) her latest book and publication is also titled "Gothic: Dark Glamour" (Yale University Press in conjunction with FIT, 2008).

"Gothic is an epithet with a strange history, evoking images of death, destruction, and decay. It is not just a word that describes something (such as a Gothic cathedral); it is almost inevitably a term of abuse, implying that something is gloomy, barbarous, and macabre. Ironically, its negative connotations have made it, in some respects, ideal as a symbol of rebellion. Hence its significance for youth subcultures. Today the words "goth" and "gothic" are popularly associated with black-clad teenagers and mascara'd rock musicians. But the gothic has many layers of meaning.

The Beautiful Deadly Children

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:29:13 -0700

"The Beautiful Deadly Children, The Gospel According to Goth" by Bertie Weirdly

This book has been my first exposure to The Beautiful Deadly Children, and I must say they seem like over-the-top theatrical Gothic fun. Described early in the book as putting on shows mixing high-couture fashion, comedy, and rock extravaganza, the reader is thrust into the world of band members Paul Steventon-Marks, John Douglas Maddison, Olivia Barnard-Firth, and Kit Kat Mahoney.

Over the course of 100 pages author Bertie Wierdly presents profiles of the band members, explorations of their influences, fashion and makeup tips, and even some drink recipes (which I will be trying one day soon...) Lest you think the theatrics would be left to your imagination, this richly-illustrated book contains more than a few inspiring fashion ideas.

While much of the text focuses on fashion and theatrics, let's not forget that this is in fact a band. Drawing influences from classic Goth-rock with a hint of Darkwave, BDC's music is energetic -- I like what I have heard and would be interested in hearing more.

Obviously reveling in the Gothic sense of drama and perhaps even flirting with the edge of propriety, The Beautiful Deadly Children are anything but commonplace. If you have the opportunity, definitely check them out.

Around a Dark Corner

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:03:15 -0700

Having thoroughly enjoyed Open Grave: the Book of Horror, I was very pleased to receive a copy of Jeani Rector's latest book, Around a Dark Corner. This book follows the same overall structure as the last: a series of short stories followed by a novella. I am a big fan of this format, each story adding to the anticipation of the next.

Like Open Grave this book varies in subject matter -- stories such as 'A Medieval Tale of Plague' (a sort of diary of one persons' escape from London during the mid 1300s) and 'Flight 529' (based on factual events) have a restrained quality, while 'The Golem' and 'A Teenage Ghost Story' are examples of classic horror storytelling. All have a feeling of "the uncanny", and all are fascinating in a unique way.

This book adds to my impression that the author is very much at home in this genre -- the writing is confident, and as a result it is easy to become fully engrossed in the stories. There is no sensasionalism here, but instead clever and intelligent writing that stands out as an excellent example of modern Gothic storytelling.

Be sure to visit aroundadarkcorner.com -- the book can be purchased directly from the publisher website.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:52:21 -0800

The third movie in the Underworld series appears to take place before the first film, and will hopefully explain the origins of the war between the vampires and lycans.

Less than one week until the film opens!

Open Grave: The Book of Horror

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:56:47 -0700

I have a rather ambivalent relationship with Gothic writing. I've read my share (and continue to do so), but I seem to have difficulty finding authors that are able to create an engaging tale without reverting to unbearably verbose dialogue. So it was with some expectation of tedium that I began reading "Open Grave: The Book of Horror" by Jeani Rector.

I was pleasantly surprised.

The book is effectively split in two: the first half short stories, the second a novella. I found the short stories engaging -- the consistent pace and economical writing made them very memorable, and I must say the author is obviously unafraid of taking risks in the Gothic genre (as can be seen in "The Burial", which is based on Native American rituals).