'DIY cosmology'
mural by Tim Parish
Otto Mainzheim Gallery
Haccoubori, Tokyo

completed 4/11/07

A few photos from the VISIONS of MU exhibition launched at the Otto Mainzheim Gallery on the 27th of October in Hacchoubori. Despite a typhoon closing down many trainlines around Tokyo for the night, a lovely crowd braved the storms and gail force winds to make the opening. A live music and VJ performance by NabeOne and myself (Verb) kicked off the later night party with the tunes of DJ Moja and various random dj drop-ins and some live painting on the walls of the gallery until dawn.

Thanks to Naoko and Emiko from the Solar Cafe for providing the excellent food and Yuichiro from Otto's for all the support selling sake and the draft beeru magic. Watch this space for the evolving face of the mural I painting on the walls of the gallery over the next two weeks...

Also, here's an article from Japanzine about the exhibition.

xx

Tim

moja and nabe share a beer before the performance...

a micro-restrospective of some of my older works..

a little of bit of 3am yoga inspired a change of direction for the video projector...

One of the Otto Mainzheim Gallery owners was so excited about the first opening he started breakdancing spontaneously

the culprit, caught red handed

The Oracle Vignettes

Demon terrorists, drug warriors, robot butterflies, virtual reality brainwashing, alien television and memetic drugs. All debris of an unfinished novel; The Oracle' is a collection of short science fiction poems written and designed by Tim Parish.

first published in Oracle #1 (zine, 2002)

reprinted in Undergrowth #1: SEED and #2: Terra Poetica (2003)

(free download here)

"Acid Casualty"

by Tim Parish

water colour and pencil, drawn on the 'Utopia' ship, between China and Japan, August 2007.

In the War ON Drugs, both sides need to remember the acid casualties. Inspired by the laws of gravity for those practising magic with out a license. Lest We Forget.

In January I spent a week in Bangkok working on this mural at the Old Prah Athit Pier. I met the owner of the bar on my first night in the country, and ended up designing the flyer for his new years party over a selection of the bars best cocktails during which time I had convinced him to employ me to paint on the alley walls which ran alongide the restaurant/bar. It took five days to finish the thirty metre piece, easily the biggest thing I have ever done, with rain slowing down the work, and many pedestrians passing by.

It was an interesting way to get to know the streets of the mega city. During the week I had many long conversations with locals passing by on there way to the ferry, was interviewed by thai school kids, photographed by a local newspaper and met two street artists, one from America and another from France who explored the cities nascent graffiti culture at aome super funky art exhibiitions.

If you're in Bangkok and want to check it out anytime, the mural is in an alleyway between the Prah Athit Rd and the Bangkok River, on the way to the ferry. About 100 metres form the historic fort of Prah Athit and about 20 metres from the UNICEF building. It may be the only public artpiece in the whole area, so its not too hard to find.

Thanks to Farn and the lovely staff at the Prah Athit Pier.

xx

Tim

Hanging out in the beautiful old town of Lijiang in the Yunnan Province of China with my friends Jun and Simon, we became friends with the owner of an Irish/Naxi Bar called 'The Sexy Tractor'. After a few games of darts in which I drew a piece on the chalkboard I managed to convince him to let us paint his walls in exchange for free drinks and rent in the upstairs loft where I am now staying.

Jun is a half chinese/laos/vietnamese stencil artist brought up in Canada whose graf title is Farmyst so he did the tractor stencil while I did the freehand part of the painting.

We finished the piece over many Cuban Mohito's and mango daquiris with Spoonbill, Cat Empire and Fat Freddy's Drop as the musical soundtrack over two rainy days while many travellers and chinese came and went. Some even offering me another job or two in the process...

Watch this space for a possible exhibition in the upstairs floor and two more murals over the next two weeks.

Peace.

xx Tim

Jun placing the finishing touch.

two details of the piece.

Verb and Farmyst (Tim and Jun) the proud fathers of this little baby.

The chalkboard piece I did in the bar which impressed John the owner to let us do the painting.

Outside the Sexy Tractor in the beautiful stone streets of the traditional architecture of Lijiang Old Town on a rainy day in June.

14/6/07