Nick Blinko: ‘Visions of Pope Adrian 37th’ now available for order
Nick Blinko’s extraordinary new book of his artwork, Visions of Pope Adrian 37th, is now available to pre-order. It consists of 87 drawings, a brief introduction by Blinko, and a short piece on Blinko from the acclaimed writer, and specialist, on outsider art Professor Colin Rhodes. The drawings are reproduced in their original A5 size. There are two different editions, a standard edition and a special edition.
The standard edition is limited to 370 copies, is bound in dark maroon Arbelave Buckram and the front image and spine text are gold-blocked onto the cover. The book has purple head- and tail-bands and black endpapers. Each copy contains an original portrait of Pope Adrian 37th, drawn by Blinko, who has also signed the same page, making every copy of the book unique. The standard edition costs £37 plus postage and packing.
Click here to pre-order the standard edition. It will be available, and sent out, next week.
The special edition is limited to 37 numbered copies, is bound in purple Arbelave Buckram; has a larger front image than the standard edition, which is, like the spine text, gold-blocked onto the cover. The book has purple and black head- and tail-bands and black endpapers; all three page-edges are gilded. An original portrait of Pope Adrian 37th by Blinko, larger and more elaborate than that in the standard edition, is drawn by the artist in each copy; the page is also signed by him. As with the standard edition, every copy of this book is unique. The special edition costs £137 plus postage and packing.
Click here to pre-order the standard edition. It will be available, and sent out, next week.
We have shown samples of the front cover, and typical drawings, from the standard and special editions, though of course every copy is different.
Blinko also presently has a museum show of his work at Chichester’s prestigious Pallant House gallery until 7 August. For more details see here.
Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric was originally the title of a 1995 concept album by Nick’s band Rudimentary Peni, written while he was being detained in an English psychiatric hospital under Section 3 of the UK’s 1983 Mental Health Act. During that period, Nick was convinced that he was Pope Adrian 37th. Visions of Pope Adrian XXXVII was also the name Nick gave to a multimedia colour painting/drawing of his which was exhibited at St Martin in the Fields Church, London, by the National Schizophrenia Fellowship—now known as Rethink. The painting was executed in the 1980s, and was originally, and unsatisfactorily, titled Kaleidoscope before being re-named in the next decade.
There are a few copies remaining of Nick’s previous book published by Coptic Cat, The Haunted Head. Order the standard edition • Order the special edition
‘HoneySuckle Æeons’ handpainted test pressings now done
I have finally finished the covers for the limited HoneySuckle Æons handpainted 2TP edition plus postcards, and invoices will be sent out on Monday 11 July and Tuesday 12 July to all those who have ordered them; the records will be sent the same week. Excuses for the delay, which is due to my being, as usual, overwhelmed with what I am engaged in.
There are copies still available: see here for full details of the item and how to order.
Ray Davies meltdown and C93
Thanks to all of those who came to see us at the South Bank, and also to Lewis Todd who joined us on guitar. We all felt this was one of our most intense and personal appearances, coming almost a year to the day after the death of my dear friend Sebastian Horsley, about whom the track ‘SunFlowers’ on HoneySuckle Æons was written. It was also the last time that beloved James Blackshaw will be playing with us for a few months, as he has met the Perfect Moon and is getting married. Congratulations to him and all our love; I miss him very much indeed; he lived in Hastings and was one of the people I spent the most time with. He is one of my dearest friends and Hastings—and I—certainly feel much emptier without his magical and kind aura and presence.
Michael Cashmore rejoins C93 for Poland concert
We are all OverMoon to announce that the legendary and lovely MICHAEL CASHMORE is rejoining C93 for our concert in Katowice, Poland on 4 August and and and… This is hugely exciting for C93 as, once again, the Hallucinatory Oceans shift and sing us into a new phase. More news soon on the new manifestations of the Current.
Cyclobe: ‘Wounded Galaxies Tap at the Window’ CD now available
We’re extremely happy to be able to announce that advance copies of Cyclobe’s new album Wounded Galaxies Tap at the Window are available now on CD from the Cyclobe website. Released by Phantomcode and distributed by Cargo from the 25th of July, this CD release comes in a full-colour deluxe laminated wallet containing a four page insert and a fold-out poster by the artist Alex Rose. The album has been digitally mastered by the talented Denis Blackham.
To order a copy please visit www.cyclobe.com
Ossian Brown’s ‘Haunted Air’ print
“All the clocks had stopped. A void out of time. And here they are – looking out and holding themselves still – holding still at that point where two worlds join – the familiar – and the other.”—David Lynch
Phantomcode have produced a new limited edition of a signed and hand-numbered print by Ossian Brown. The image is taken from the front cover of Ossian’s book Haunted Air, published by Jonathan Cape/Random House in England. With a foreword by David Lynch, and afterword written by Geoff Cox, Haunted Air is due to be released in the USA, September 2011.
This large Giclée print is limited to 83 copies only and printed on Hahnemühle fine art paper.
Size: 26cm by 45.5cm
Price: £65.00
To request payment details for this print please contact Cyclobe through their website www.cyclobe.com
New issue of my favourite magazine ‘The Gnostic’
The fourth issue of The Gnostic: A Journal of Gnosticism, Western Esotericism and Spirituality is now out and has a wonderful selection of articles. I love this magazine and eagerly await every issue. The publishers’ promotional release is below.
“Alan Moore’s Fossil Angels, an investigation into the contemporary occult scene. Interviews with Stephan Hoeller and Miguel Conner. Anthony Peake on the Quantum Pleroma. Sean Martin tells a Gnostic sci-fi tale. Robert M Price on the Gnostic Gospel of John. Bill Darlison on the zodiac in the Gospel of Mark. Gnostic influences on Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. The plight of the Mandaeans. The gematria of Marcus the Magician. The Gospel of Thomas, a translation and Fourth Way interpretation. Gnostic politics. John Cowper Powys. The complete text of The Gnosis of the Light—a book within a magazine! Egyptian cat mummies and more. And we review enough books to fill a whole shelf. Cover and interior illustrations by Laurence Caruana.”
News from Comus’ Bobbie Watson and Drift
Comus’ Bobbie Watson will be appearing on Resonance 104.4FM’s ‘Mining For Gold’ programme (online at www.resonancefm.com) to talk about her career and to perform some live music from Heterotopia, her just released album, at 11.30pm on Friday 15th July.
Her band of choice for the live parts of the programme is Drift, the group through which she met Jon Seagroatt, who became Bobbie’s songwriting partner, then husband and later, fellow member of the re-formed Comus.
Originally a three-piece band with Bobbie on vocals, Rich Hamel on guitar and Jon Seagroatt on bass, Drift played against a backdrop of laptop-generated loops and electronica. However, they have recently added a drummer, Rob Armitage, to the lineup and dispensed with much of the electronica. It is as a four piece that the group will be appearing on Resonance. As you might expect from members of Comus, Drift’s music defies easy categorisation but weaves elements of sludge-funk, psych-folk and chanson into a sometimes shimmering, sometimes incandescent, always unique whole.
Drift’s 10 track album Heterotopia on FoFum Records is available as a digital download from Bandcamp, or as a physical CD from Discogs.
There is a lovely review of Comus’ live album, East of Sweden, released on the Gnostic Dirt label I run with Steve Pittis here.
Love to you all and see you in Poland…
Your friend and mine, Anok Pe Anaku David Tibet+++