verb

The City Speaks

Acrylic on canvas

Melbourne 2008

by Tim Parish

 This piece was inspired by the poem 'This City Speaks To Me" by Melbourne's bohemian prince of slam poetry SI who has shouted the words of this at the top of his intoxicated lungs on street corners and in dimly lit bars enough times that I almost know the words off by heart. Love yr work brother.

The UFO

acrylic on canvas

Tim Parish 2008

This painting was inspired by recent readings on the nature of the UFO phenomenon which link it to some kind of psychic manifestation rather than a physical vessel from outer space. I've always been interested in the concept that if extra-terrestrial species were to visit our planet, they would be more likely to do so as astral energy bodies rather than in metal spaceships but Carl Jung explored this psychological query of the UFO phenomena in his book Flying Saucers written in 1959. He suggested that they were more akin to symbolic manifestations of the human unconscious, projected into reality as collective hallucinations. This theory was expanded upon greatly by psychedelic philosopher Terence McKenna at a number of speeches and his books 'Archaic Revival' and 'True Hallucinations'. Here are few quotes from the latter:

"The Greatest Democracy On Earth" and other myths...

Analysis of the US Federal Elections

by Tim Parish

Editor, Undergrowth.org

As the US Election draws to a close, the rest of the world has to just watch and wait as the self described "Greatest Democracy On Earth" continues to be one of the worst representatives of the democratic process of all western nations - although it does create fantastic political theatre... With the global economy in freefall, Republican Party (or GOP as they like to call it there - "Good Old Party", seriously), candidate John McCain has spent the last few weeks of the campaign trying to talk about anything else. They've linked Obama to Bill Ayers of the radical left wing group The Weather Underground from the 60's in millions of dollars of paid advertisment (actually I highly recommend the documentary about them which came out a few years ago to understand where they actually came from and what they represented). Although Obama was eight years old when all this took place it was enough for them to try and pin the dirtiest word in America on him; terrorist, and apparently this was shouted out at various Republican campaign rallys. They've compared Obama to a pop star (Paris Hilton and Britney Spears to be exact). He's been called a socialist by the "pitbull with lipstick" Palin (her words) and McCain having said what I think is one of the worst quotes of the entire campaign; "America didn't become the most powerful nation on earth from spreading the wealth around...". Oh really...

'The Night Doctors'
by Tim Parish
ink on paper
Japan, 2008

from the exhibition 'Visions of Mu'.

Somewhere between midnight and dawn, in a small room on the border of Thailand and Laos my friend Cassandra told me about a vision she had had in the Amazonian jungle a few months earlier. 

'I felt as if all the creatures of the forest, the insects, the snakes, the creatures of the night were surrounding me and ripping my body to pieces" she told me matterof factly. "It wasn't painful, but there was no escaping the fact that my body had been torn to shreds and I had to confront the reality that I was no longer alive..." - and that was only the beginning of her eight hour long Ayahuasca journey.

 'The Tempest' is an experimental dance video collaboration between video artist Tim Parish and sound artist/performer Lulu Madill aka Buttons Touching. It is an interpretation of the traditional raindance, and a choreography inspired by the element of wind.

 8mm scratch videoclip for the song 'Dogs of Rotterdam' by Melbourne gypsy deathcore band The Barons of Tang. Shot at the Northcote Social Club. Produced and Edited by Tim Parish, Verb Studios.

For more information on The Barons of Tang:
http://www.myspace.com/thebaronsoftang

To find more videos and art by Tim Parish
http://www.undergrowth.org/user/verb

'Cosmic Serpent'
ink and gold paint
Japan, 2007

from the exhibition 'Visions of MU'

This piece was inspired by the book 'The Cosmic Serpent' by Jeremy Narby, inwhich he explores the universal myth of the serpent throughout cultures all over the world as a being which guards knowledge. While in Japan this concept resonated particularly strong as I would visit Buddhist temples with enormous and beautiful murals of serpent like dragons painted above meditation halls as a kind of gatekeeper to the deeper realms of insight. It was as if the danger and fear created by the image of the dragon were merely a test of one's courage to surpass these obstacles to gain greater insight.
-Tim

"Everywhere I Go, Ego"
painting by Tim Parish
acrylic on canvas,  April 2008