THE ART OF BEING PUNK - the art of the Speedboat

BenCrew · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Posts: 14

Some of you might remember the old SPEEDBOAT CONSPIRACY GALLERY that use to be on Selby Ave in St. Paul next to Motor Oil Coffee. When I was in high school (at Central - 1 block away from the Speedboat) most of my friends use to ditch class and hang out there. At the time it was a very happening spot for underground music and the local art scene. Bands like Babes in Toyland, Green Day, Destroy, Spitboy and many others use to rock the basement of the Speedboat on weekly basis. Upstairs you could find seemingly obscure instillations from local and traveling artists. It was a space where people came together to share their creativety, get inspired, drink cheap coffee and, for many Central High school students, ditch class.

Unfortunately Speedboat had to close their doors.

Fairly recently however the Speedboat has reopened in a new location on Snelling Ave just a few blocks north of Big V's & The Turf Club. This time around they have done well to keep a fairly low profile. From the outside the Speedboat looks like your average indie book store that might hold art shows on occasion. Through the store front window you can see rows of various used titles that must have found their way out of somebody's attic and onto the shelves. The money made from book sales helps to keep the space open as the art shows don't always pay the bills.

There have only been a select number of bands who have played there since they reopened. Unlike the old Speedboat bands only get to play this space when they are asked by an artist who wants to throw a little celebration on opening night. Lucky Jeremy, Red Satyrs, and The Soviettes have been among those bands so far.

On FRIDAY JANUARY 16th the SPEEDBOAT GALLERY will host
"IS THIS ART OR IS THIS PUNK?". "IS THIS ART OR IS THIS PUNK?" is an instillation by seven local artists who have been involved with or created art specifically for the punk community. They will be accompanied by four local punk groups who be paying respect to some of their favorite punk icons. It promises to be both an artistic experience and a rockin' good time. Please mark this date on your calendar. The Speedboat, the artists and the bands would love to see you there.

BenCrew · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Posts: 14

FRIDAY JANUARY 16th, 2004
"Is this art or is this punk?"
@THE SPEEDBOAT GALLERY
566 N. Snelling - St. Paul
(just a few blocks north of University / across from Taco Bell)
www.thespeedboatgallery.com

7pm $5
Everyone is welcome to attend

The Artists:
Erik Farseth - the art of being a pirate (zines, woodcuts, xerox, collage)
Dwitt - the art of punk rock propaganda (flyers, paintings...)
Abbigedon - the art of making a living off art (painting, sculpture...)
Bill Hauser - the art of making punk a comic strip again (illustration, comic book design)
Jecca Namakkal - the art of getting your fake band to open for the Cramps (photo art)
Critikill Colin - the art of hardcore imaging (record cover designs, layouts, t-shirt art)
Jess Stein - the art of being a punk who likes to draw (sketches, paintings...)

The Bands:
Ripsnorter - the art of recreating the MISFITS
Plate-O-Shrimp - the art of becoming HUSKER DU
Creeping Charlie - the art of committing SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
1-2-GO! CREW - and the power of positive thinking... YOUTH OF TODAY

UnstuckGus · Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 149 Location: Saint Paul, MN

Cool.

I went to grade school with Erik Farseth, and I haven't seen him since sophomore year of high school. Name out of the past.

DWITT · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Posts: 445 Location: MPLS

I'll have the poster for this done tomorrow.

DWITT · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Posts: 445 Location: MPLS

Germ War · Joined: 22 Sep 2003 Posts: 3122

DWITT, it would've ruled if you would've had "featuring the PUNK of" for the bands, to go with the "theme"...

zom-zom · Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 8998 Location: Yggdrasill

This sounds awful.

DWITT · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Posts: 445 Location: MPLS

I can't hear a thing. Confused

play me · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 1765 Location: Fire Island

Felix Havoc · Joined: 07 Oct 2003 Posts: 2584 Location: Minneapolis

Critical Colin, Abbi and Bill Hauser are all super talented artists. Bill and Abbi both make a living off their arts, which is more than I can say for most of the people waiting tables at the Loring and working at the Wedge with their Fine Arts Degrees. Bill and Colin's illustrations are outstanding and Abbi's sculpture is pretty amazing. It's leaps better than most of the art on record covers and shit I see in the punk scene today. Abbi's stuff is world class, she's in galleries all over the world. Seriously those three have more god given talent than most graduating classes of MCAD combined.

DWITT · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Posts: 445 Location: MPLS

I, on the other hand, am a talentless hack, with a flair for self promotion, and I don't even wait tables at the Loring, i work at Khan's in Roseville, and I am barely scraping by every month.
I have work hanging in homes around the world, but not galleries.
I did not go to MCAD.

Don't know why I'm in this show.

play me · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 1765 Location: Fire Island

Ollie Stench · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2003 2:05 am Post subject:

Germ War · Joined: 22 Sep 2003 Posts: 3122

MaryDC · Joined: 08 Oct 2003 Posts: 801 Location: Minneapolis

Yeah this sounds great! i love abbi's art, thing is i don't know why yr calling her Abbigeidon. i'm pretty sure her art is done under her full name.