Planet of the Arts vol.3 no. 6 April 1988 JOHN LOVE ---- John Love is busy. He’s a third-year E.C.C.A.D. student pursuing a generic Fine Arts diploma in Alternate Studies. He doesn’t know exactly how tall he is, but he knows a lot about computers. When he first came to the college he knew nothing about the comput- ers which now constitute his full-time field of study. From zero to twenty megabyte hard-drive in just under two years. Among his greatest influences John lists Dennis Vance and Gary Lee Nova. Through Gary’s multi-media class Love has developed an appreciation of current pop enigmas and media manipulators such as Angelyne, Tom Rubnitz, and Paul Reubens (Pee Wee to you). Inspired by the radio work of Bob and Ray on the C.B.C., the multi-media class has produced several radio plays with the assistance of Mike Agrios. Mr. Love has worked with Tom Hudson on the Knowledge Network tele-course “Mark and Image”, doing computer image research. He has never worked with Andy Warhol. John considers his most important resource to be intelligence. His digital work has been widely admired, and he is a contemporary of Mike Smart and Kelly Constabaris, among others. He regrets never having seen Liberace perform live. He did, however, once see him on Hollywood Squares. The Amiga computer system is one of John’s favorites because— he doesn’t want to bore us with a lot of techno-babble—it’s good. Using the Amiga and the Atari 800’s, John is currently building computer accessories and soldering new circuitry for performance-oriented integration. Adapting components “to translate action into numbers” enables the computer to register a physical event and transform it into a numerical value so that, depending on the program, sound or graphics can be produced by movement. “Wearable joysticks” will provide the movement information necessary to activate the system. He has never had anything dry-cleaned. John runs a small part - time computer bulletin board service for a variety of computer - related events such as the G.E.E.K. club. His hobbies include sitting in front of any avail- able computer terminal until his eyes fall out. Mr. Love also enjoys walking with his girlfriend, his sister, and his new niece. As a member of the Computer Committee at E.C.CA.D John has become a regular contributor to the Planet of the Arts. He is also one of the founding members of G.E.E.K., the club for Graphic Expressions and Experimental Kom- puting. Mr. Love can be found daily in room 223, and every Thursday at the G.E.EK. meetings in room 229, at noon. And his name really is John. ~ John Sex is busy. He’s a New York perform- ance artist, internationally acclaimed, scheduled to appear in Vancouver this week. Despite his answering machine’s assertion that he had “just stepped out”, John remained unavailable for the cool phone interview the Planet had hoped to conduct. Luckily he has a large press kit, jammed with clippings from every hip publication you can name. His press kit has this to say: “The superstar of sex is on the rise as fast as the blast-off trajectory of his vertical quiff will carry him. John Sex (nee Sexton) paid his disco dues as a Stripper, a ‘sex’ symbol and a star of downtown nouvelle-Vegas revues alongside Madonna, Anne Magnuson and Keith Haring. John’s vinyl debut, “Hustle With My Muscle/Bump and Grind it” on Varla Records cracked and crowned progressive international dance charts and inspired raves from Spin critic John Leland (“a flea market of bad taste”), New Music Express (“pure, throbbing fun”) and The Village Voice (“awesome schmaltz”). “Club owners: remember, you’re still virgins until you’ve had Sex, live! “Fans: go to your local record store and demand Sex and more Sex! and find out why they callhim The Ruler!” The major thrust of all the promotional material is, apparently, that John has got some- thing big in his gold lamé pants. He studied at the Manhattan School of Visual Arts and has evolved along with his contemporar- ies Kenny Scharf and Keith Haring, as well as with the Mudd Club and virtually the entire East Village art scene. John’s poster work has been widely admired. He’s been photographed standing right next to Liberace, and Andy Warhol. Tom Rubnitz has produced two videos of John’s performance work. Mr. Sex has never worked with Tom Hudson. John’s hobby is designing new outfits for himself out of anything from feathers to leathers to light buibs. One can only wonder at the size of his monthly dry-cleaning bills. His work has been described as “gonzo-camp lounge singer” and “Las Vegas revue from outer space”. Is he just a lamé excuse for a perform- ance artist, or is he what we’ve all secretly been waiting for? Luckily, we can find out. John will be per- forming at Graceland on April 11th, 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $6.00, available at the Underground, Little Sisters, the Block, and Graceland (688-2648). A mini-performance and video showing will take place at the Western Front on April 12th, for the price of a Western Front membership ($5.00). Within the next month he will appear in virtually every Vancouver publication. And his name really is John. The Anxiety Closet Department Dear Aunt Emily, I’m in 4th year and I keep having this night- mare that everyone in my department is going to be awarded honours except me and Ill be so humiliated that I’ll have to leave Vancouver to avoid everyone. I’m getting so mad at my instruc- tors about this that my work is suffering. Yours sincerely, Insecure in 4th Dear Insecure, Part of your education as an art student is learning to deal with the reality of being an artist. Your instructors and the administration in their wisdom have developed pedagogical experiences like the honors list to help you in your profes- sional development. It’s important that you establish creative responses to the inevitabilities of being misunder- stood, unappreciated and not recognized for your talents by people in power positions. Especially challenging are the incidents when the award winners are artistically your inferiors, and equally irritating when they are better than you. If you do not get the recognition that you deserve, remember that the best revenge is 5. Always let hunters , guides, and outfitters know about your problem. success. Start planning for your solo show in New York now and don’t sweat the small stuff. hugs, Aunt Emily Dear Aunt Emily; I’m beginning to feel like a 3rd world country in dire need of Band Aid, Comic Relief and Amnesty International. I’m suffering from deficien- cies of money, time, inspiration, appreciation, sex, love, and’sunshine. And | can’t shake the flu. And the territory in my head is in civil war: terrorists are threatening to blow up the power plants and the military police are into torture. Help! : Yours truly, Tortured Student Dear Tortured Student, First, Don’t Panic! When your psychic economy and politics are in crisis you are in danger of feeling bad about feeling bad. That’s almost a guaranteed way of spinning into a downward spiral that makes it difficult to recover. You’re not the only one who is having a bad day. It’s late March but Spring could come again this year. Second, talk about it. Bitch and whine! But make it amusing otherwise people will get bored listening to you and that’s counter-productive. Save the excessive complaining for your cat. When you get bored of it yourself move on to seek help from others. Most people like to be treated as experts who are smart and wise. It makes them feel good to advise on solutions for your prob- lems instead of ruminating on their own hang-ups. Select multi-disciplinary consultants for the action stuff: relatives, friends, enemies, teachers, free professionals at the College and in the community, self-help books/crystals/pets/I Ching, etc. And cut out the sado-masochistic stuff. Psychological self-abuse and taking your frustra- tions out on others is morally repugnant and ecologically wasteful of energy resources. Try a respectful democratic approach to internal and external conflicts. Best wishes for a recovery and don’t become too successful and complacent because you will want to keep some artistic angst i love, Aunt Emily JOHN SEK Keith Nevin PC ggg Planetofthe Arts vol.3 no.6 ‘April 1988 JOHN LOVE ~--- John Love is busy. He's a third-year E.C.C.AD. student pursuing a generic Fine Arts dipioma In Alternate Studies. He doesn’t know exactly how tall he Is, but he knows a lot about computers. When he first came to the college he knew nothing about the comput- ors which now constitute his full-time fleld of study. From zero to twenty megabyte hard-drive In Just under two years. ‘Among his greatest influences John lists Dennis Vanco and Gary Lee Nova. Through Gary's multi-media class Love has developed an appreciation of current pop enigmas and media ‘Angelyne, Tom Rubnitz, and feo to you). Inspired by the radio work of Bob and Ray on the C.B.C., tho ‘multi-media class has produced several radio plays with the assistance of Mike Agrios. Mr. Love has worked with Tom Hudson on the Knowledge Network tole-course “Mark and, Image”, doing computer image research. Ho has never worked with Andy Warhol John considers his most important resource tobe intelligence. His digital work has. widely admired, and he is a contemporary of Mike ‘Smart and Kelly Constabaris, among others. Ho regrets never having seen Liberaco perform live. He did, however, once see him on Hollywood Squares. ‘The Amiga computer system Is one of John's favorites because— he doesn't want to bore us with a lot of techno-babble—it's good. Using the tari 800's, John is cur jccessorles and soldering new circuitry for perlormance-orlented integration. ‘Adapting components “to translate action into numbers” enables the computer to register a physical event and transform it into a numerleat Value 80 that, depending on the program, sound, oF graphics can be produced by movement “Wearable joysticks” will provide the movement Information necessary to activate the system. He jr had anything dry-cleaned. John runs a small part time computer bulletin, board service for a variety of computer - related events such as the G.E.EK. club, His hobbies include sitting in front of any avall- able computer terminal until his eyes fall out. ‘Mr. Love also enjoys walking with his girlfriend, his sister, and his new niece. ‘As a member of the Computer Committee at E.C.CA.D John has become a regular contributor to the Planet of the Arts. He is also one of the founding members of G.E.EK., the club for Graphic Expressions and Experimental Kom- puting. Mr. Love can be found dally in room 223, ‘and every Thursday at the G.E.EK. meetings in oom 229, at noon. ‘And his name really is John. JOHN SEX John Sex Is busy, He's a New York perform- ance arts, Internationally accllmed, scheduled to appear in Vancouver this woek, ite his answering machine’ that he had "Just stoppedou tunavallable for the cool phone interview the Planet had hoped to conduct. ‘Luckily he has a large press kit, jammed with clippings from every hip publication you can name. His press kit h r carry him. John Sex (nee Sexton) paid his disco ‘dues as a stripper, a ‘sex’ symbol and a star of ‘Madonna, Anne Mai John's vinyl debut, ‘and Grind it" on Varla Records cracked and crowned progressive international dance charts and inspired raves from Spin eritic John Leland New Music Express (‘awesome schmaltz”) “Club owners: remember, you're still Until you've had Sex, live! “Fans: go to your local record store and. demand Sex and more Sex! and find out why they ‘aall him The Ruler!” The major thrust of all the promotional ‘material is, apparently, that John has got some- thing big in his gold lamé pants. Ho studied at the Manhattan Schoo! of Visual ‘Arts and has evolved along with his contemporar- Jes Kenny Scharf and Keith Haring, as well as with gins the Mudd Club and virtually the entire East Vilage art scene. John's poste admired. work has been widely ‘been photographed standing right next ‘and Andy Warhol ‘Tom Rubnitz has produced two videos of John’s performance work Mr. Sex has never worked with Tom Hudson. John's hobby is designing new outfits for himself out of anything from feathers to leathers fo light bulbs, One can only wonder atthe size of ing bills. His work has beon described as “gonzo-camp lounge singer” and "Las Voi space". Is he just a lamé ‘ance artist, or ls he what we've all secretly been waiting for? Luckily, we can find out. John wil be per- forming at Graceland on April 11th, 9:00 pm. Tickets are $6.00, avaliable at the Underground, Littie Sisters, the Block, and Graceland (680-2646) ‘Amini-performance and video showing will take place atthe Western Front on April 12th, for the price of a Western Front mombership ($5.00). Within the next month he wil appear In Virtually every Vancouver publication. ‘And his name realy is John. The Anxiety Closet Department Dear Aunt Emily, 'm in 4th year and | keep having this night. ‘mare that everyone in my department is going to, be awarded honours except me and I'llbe so humiliated that I'l have to leave Vancouver to ‘avold everyone. I'm getting so mad at my instruc- tore about this that my work le suffering, Yours sincerely, Insecure In 4th Dear Insecure, Part of your education as an art student Is learning to deal with the reality of being an artist Your instructors and the administration in thelr ‘wisdom have developed pedagogical experiences like the honers list to help you in your profes- sional development. It's important that you establish creative }onses to the inevitabilties of being misunder stood, unappreciated and not recognized for your talents by people in power positions. Especially challenging are the incidents when the award winners are artistically your inferiors, and equally Irritating when they are better than you. you do not get the recognition that you deserve, remember that the best revenge is success. Start planning for your solo show in New York now and don't sweat the small stuff, hugs, ‘Aunt Emily Dear Aunt Emily; 'm beginning to fee! like a 3rd world country In dire need of Band Aid, Comic Rellef and ‘Amnesty International. 'm suffering from deficien- ‘cles of money, time, inspiration, appreciation, sex, love, and sunshine. And I can't shake the flu. And rritory in my head Is in civil war: terrorists threatening to blow up the power plants and. Help! Yours truly, Tortured Student ar the military police are into tortur Doar Tortured Studer First, Don't Panic! When your psychic ‘economy and politics are in crisis you are in danger of feeling bad about feeling bad. That's ‘almost a guaranteed way of spinning into a downward spiral that makes it difficult to recover. You're not the only one who is having a bad day. W's late March but Spring could come again this year. ‘Second, talk about it. Bitch and whine! But make it amusing otherwise people will got bored listening to you and that’s counter-productive. Save ihe excessive complaining fot your at bored of it yourself move on to sook ‘Most people like to be treated as ‘smart and wise. It makes them experts who fool good to advise on solutions for your prob- lems instead of ruminating on their own hang-ups. Solect multi-disciplinary consultants for the community, sell ete. ‘And cut out the sado-masochistle stutt. Psychological self-abuse and taking your frustra- tions out on others is morally repugnant and ‘ecologically wasteful of energy resources. Try a especttul democratic approach to internal and ‘external conflicts. Bost wishes for a recovery and don't become too successful and complacent because you will ‘want to keep some artistic angst Ip books/erystals/petsil Ching, lov ‘Aunt Emily 5. Always et hunters. guides, and outiters know about your problem. 7