Friday, February 10, 2006

What do pinups, girl reporters, wimmin’s libbers and riot grrrlz have in common?

Louis James's Blurbs
About me:
SURRENDERED BY MY OWN MOTHER: Unwanted and Unloved Institutionalized at birth. Adopted at six months by a dull upper-middle class couple from Kensington, MD. I have a "sister" who was adopted first. Carter Goodrich started it all. Blame him. We were four years old. He could whip out an amazingly realistic version of a Stuka flying straight at you, machine guns blazing. I couldn't. He had innate talent. I didn't. At least, not like he did. And I've been playing catch-up ever since. Eventually, I gave up trying to draw in a naturalistic manner. (Today, I'm all about rendering massive .jpg files, (upwards of 500K pixels) of my work in Photoshop.) BANISHED: Unwanted and Unloved, (Pt. 2) to the Linton Hall Military School & Fork Union Military Academy (1964-1969) I began doing my art at age 5 whilst institutionalized at a military boarding school run by an Order of Benedictine nuns in the countryside of central Virginia. For five years the only joy I felt was the proud satisfaction of perfectly painting and meticulously gluing together and decaling Revel and Monogram model kits. I probably built over 100 funny cars, planes, and ships. And then destroyed them just as creatively. Monsters, however, were my favorites. I didn't destroy them. (Currently it's fifty actual-sized and individually themed "I Dream of Jeannie" bottles. Onto which I affix as many fake gems as will fit as well as hand-painting each one differently. They are beautifully hand-crafted and lovingly detailed.) Realizing I'm a Geek The Beginning of My Long Descent Into the Maelstrom At age 10 I became absorbed into the fantasy world of science fiction, horror and superheroes. Green Lantern/Green Arrow stimulated my imagination and I fell in love with the realistic illustrations of Neal Adams. I was hooked. Permanantly. Later, I moved up to novels but to this day am still enamoured of the art of Mr. Adams, as well as Frank Frazetta, Jim Steranko and Barry Windsor-Smith. (A long-term work in progess is my 5-issue comic book anthology series, @77SILICONSTRIP. It'll make a nice graphic novel TPB one day, perhaps.) No artistic ability? Then write. Sun, Surf and Sand: Coming of Age in Paradise This is where I shine. I've written several short stories and as many unfinished novels. Poetry, essays and comic strips, too. Titles include, "Sex Pit" "The Unformed" "Helluva City" "Phoenix" "The Death Dealer" "The Marriage" and "The Resurrection" All unpublished. (Recently, I've been cobbling together a corporate history of the Charlton Publishing Co. and assembling a primer of Online Behavior and Etiquette.) Is writing too hard? Then direct. Pumping My Head Full of Arcane and Forbidden Knowledge I went to college to study to become a Hollywood filmmaker. But first, I learned all the theatre-craft I could. And writing for the stage and screen. And lighting. And acting. And sound. Finally, film. After interning at the local cable TV station, I was offered a paying position as a Producer. But off to Los Angeles I flew. (Before I left I launched my first company, Commercial Art Works, where I designed, silk-screened, airbrushed and sold a collection of sportswear. I was also the paid Lighting Director for the local semi-pro theatre.) They won't let you direct? Then produce. L. A. in the Eighties: My Punk/New Wave/Hip-Hop/Techno Aesthetic While attending film school and working on the fringes of the film and theatre community, I gravitated toward the music and art scene. These were the best years of my life. So far anyway. It was then that I began my professional photography career and created my first series of collages. Selected group exhibitions of my photography include the 0 and 01 Galleries. Towards the end of my stay I attained the level of Associate Producer, Screenwriter and Production Manager for Mod Sync Film Entertainment, a feature motion picture production company. After succumbing to alcoholism and a serious drug abuse problem, I moved back home to the Tampa/Saint Petersburg, FL., area. (I have a couple of ideas for some bogus documentaries I could shoot on the cheap. It'll, probably, never happen, though. Too busy. Got any spare interns that might be interested if I Exec. Produce/Put Up the Dough?) The Prodigal Son: His Version 2.0 (revised) As soon as I could, I returned to college for a degree in Management and planned to become a criminal trial lawyer. (It's the ham in me.) And I launched my second company, "I Do!" Professional Wedding and Portrait Photography plus Videos, which is an ongoing concern. I continued refining my photographic aesthetic, yet felt no need to exhibit any of my enlarged prints. It was here that I began a second series of collages that expanded upon my initial aspirations in this medium. I exhibited them in my friend's coffee shop. They stayed up when the exhibit came down. Soonafter, I initiated a third series of extra-large-format collages that, I feel, are my best work to date. Meticulously Forgotten Secrets of Silver Halide I married my high-school sweetheart. The one who conducted extra-marital affairs with me during both of her previous marriages. We had a son and divorced after 15 years together. I bought a house close to an open-air drug market. I'm charged with a fourth DUI and am facing some prison time. I'm doomed, of course. Hopefully, my art will persevere. My Avatar: My Hype: I'm anti-art world, (Daniel Clowes) until they accept me. My Art: I've been a collage artist since my first year at USF, Tampa, Fine Arts. Before that I was into feature motion picture production, theatre and TV in Tampa, 1971-1983, 1991-present, and L.A., 1983-1991 Currently, I'm a Fine Art Publisher. I own and run Delta D Gallerie and Giclee Atelier & Bar-B-Q (Li'l Lou's Poker Party is around back.) I print mostly my own Photoshoped photographs and collages: extra large archival ink and paper digital print-outs. Next? Onto vintage wallpaper. After that, heat transfer onto 3-D objects. I'm a pro still photog. I own and run "I Do!" Professional Wedding and Portrait Photograpy plus Videos" I've, probably, shot over 200 weddings I'm "The King of Romance" I'm a geek that hoards vintage comic books. I'm putting together the largest comprehensive collection of Romance/Love comic books for donation to...some institute of study; probably Eckerd College.