Q & A with Harry Shearer

It's hard to imagine anyone who doesn't have a place in their heart for Harry Shearer. He portrayed heavy metal legend Derek Smalls in the 1984 Rockumentary "This is Spinal Tap" and he was Mark Shubb of The Folksman in the brilliant ("A Mighty Wind" 2003). And, he provides the voices of such much loved characters as Ned Flanders, Waylon Smithers, Otto Man, Rev Lovejoy, Principal Skinner and the excellent Mr Burns in The Simpsons.

(Above: Harry Shearer collage by Harry Pye) You can find out more about him and his many projects by visiting his site: http://harryshearer.com/about/ Here is a brief e-mail interview I did with him last week... THE REBEL: "A Mighty Wind: The Album" is a splendid soundtrack to a splendid film. What inspired you to write your charming song "Loco Man"? Harry: "We were all mucking about with the styles popularized by the post-folk folk boom--i.e., the "folk" music that was concocted in the Brill Bldg after the Weavers et al scored some chart hits with versions of real or semi-real folk music. Harry Belafonte's take on calypso music was such a style ("Banana Boat Song", "Matilda", et al), and that's what really inspired "Loco Man". And you're the very first person to describe it as "charming", so thank you." THE REBEL: The album's executive producer (T-Bone Burnett) produced one of my favourite records (King of America by Elvis Costello). What was he like to work with? Did he come up with any interesting suggestions for arrangements or ways of recording? Harry: "The arrangements, AFAIK, were pretty much set by the time we went into the studio. But this question really should be directed to the album's producer, CJ Vanston, who had much more contact with T-Bone than, say, I did." THE REBEL: The way Jane Lynch and Parker Posey take it in turns to sing the lyrics of "Potato's In The Paddy Wagon" never fails to make me laugh. Do you actually have much fun making films like A Mighty Wind or is it mostly just lots of hard work and concentration? (especially if you have to play an instrument and learn lots of words etc) Harry: "The best kind of fun is intermixed with hard work and vice versa. That film, like "Tap", was enormous fun to be part of, and an awful lot of hard work. Improvisation is hard work disguised as fun."

THE REBEL: What Christmas presents would you give to the following people -Seymour Skinner, Mr Burns, Rev Lovejoy, Ned Flanders? Harry: "Skinner--an early retirement. Burns--a Keith Richards-style blood replacement. Lovejoy--a more attentive congregation. Ned--a copy of Christopher Hitchens' "God is Not Great".

THE REBEL: Have you read any books by Jean-Paul Sartre? Do you go along with his famous quote: “Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness, and dies by chance.” Harry: "Haven't read him, but I agree whole-heartedly, except for perhaps the second clause--that seems the result of a bit too much red wine with dinner." THE REBEL: Years ago I remember reading about a British comedian called David Baddiel say in an interview how he once had a one night stand with a comedy groupie who insisted on him repeating all his comedy catchphrases when they were in bed together. He found the experience very depressing. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Harry: "Not in any way, shape or form. This is but one of a million excellent reasons not to base a career on catchphrases." THE REBEL: I seem to remember reading you've won big awards like Emmys and Grammys - how do you define success? What means the most to you? Harry: "I have never won either an Emmy or a Grammy. I've been nominated twice for Grammies, and once for an Emmy. So success definitely doesn't mean receiving awards. Success means being able to spend your productive time doing the projects you want to do in the way you want to do them. Period. All else is decoration." THE REBEL:Are you glad you have your birthday in December? As a child were you envious of the children whose birthday celebrations took place in the Summer holidays? Harry: "No, and yes. Hate my birthday. Anything anybody can do to help alleviate that, they're more than welcome to do."

(Above image: Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls (on left) of Spinal Tap) THE REBEL: Are you a fan of Ade Edmonson's "Bad News Tour" or were you filled with rage that some British comedians were ripping off Spinal Tap? Harry: "We heard about it at the time, but I never saw nor heard it. So it wasn't rage I was filled with, just determination that we not be accused of ripping them off." THE REBEL: Do you have many ambitions left. Are there any famous film directors or comedy legends you'd like to work with? Harry: "Many. I have a musical comedy, which I co-wrote with my friend Tom Leopold, which takes a distinctly different approach (compared to the recent dour film) to the life of J. Edgar Hoover, and I ache to get that properly, you should pardon the expression, mounted. There are dozens of directors and comedy legends I'd love to work with, but to call them out would embarass them, and piss off the ones I don't mention." THE REBEL: Can good comedy and good Rock and Roll be politicaly correct? Or does a Rock singer or comedian have to be in the wrong in order to be funny/exciting? Harry: "Not "in the wrong", but not kowtowing to the current conventional wisdom is certainly useful, at least in attracting attention, and at most in being socially useful." THE REBEL: Which lesser known bands, singers, comics do you rate? Are there any young kids on the block who've impressed or inspired you lately? Harry: "I don't know if they're lesser known, but I'm a big fan of Armstrong and Miller's sketch comedy shows in Britain. I'm intrigued by Australia's Hungry Kids of Hungary, a band clearly influenced by Brian Wilson.I love Alice Russell."

"Matisse at Christmas" (A new exhibition at Chateau Joffe)

Matisse at Christmas An art exhibition by Harry Pye and Jasper Joffe about the mystery of great art. "Matisse at Christmas" runs from December 8 to 21. The PV is on Thursday 6th December "I'm for truth no matter who tells it." - Malcolm X “To miraculously hold together contradictions and incompatibility is a good definition of art.” Frank Auerbach Harry Pye and Jasper Joffe are both artists/curators who have been friends for more than ten years. Together they’ve worked on such projects as The Free Art Fair, The Rebel magazine, and 100 Mothers. Ekow Eshun visited Joffe et Pye’s show last year and on BBC Radio 4 's Saturday Review said of their work: "Intense feelings about love, loneliness and fear, anxiety, desire, hope and ambition all come into play in these paintings. Very powerful I thought. What could have been fey, arch or game playing was actually very warm."

(ABOVE: Collage of Paul Hedge by Harry Pye 2012)

(ABOVE: Rumainian Blouse painted by Jasper Joffe 2012) Matisse at Christmas is no joke, although some of the work in it might make you smile. Matisse at Christmas is not just a transcription project but then again - Jasper and Harry feel they've learned a lot by making work for this show. The show includes art made by Jasper and Harry that was earnestly inspired by the great Henri Matisse. They have tried to make work with the same freshness, beauty, and skill as Matisse but they have added their own signatures and trademarks. Can you just make more work of an artist you like? Does anyone know what they’re looking at? Do you believe in Matisse at Christmas?

(ABOVE: Wall of Harry)

(ABOVE: Wall of Jasper) Matisse at Christmas December 8 to 21 (PV Thursday 6 December) Chateau Joffe Shoreditch London 7C Plough Yard London EC2A 3LP Tube: Liverpool Street T: 079571 36066 open Friday to Sunday 12 to 4pm and by appointment harrypye.com www.jasperjoffe.com www.jasperandharry.blogspot.co.uk

Joffe et Pye at The Mall Gallery

London, New York, Paris, Munich - everyone's talking about... The Mall Gallery. Why? It's because an exciting new group show will be opening there next month featuring Harry Pye, Jasper Joffe, Jasper's friend Simeon and some other people. YAY! Each artist will be displaying six of their best new works...

(Above: "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" by Harry Pye 2012) Thu 15 - Sun 25 November 2012, Daily 10am-5pm "Sponsored by ING Commercial Banking, this is an exhibition of small works independently selected by six prominent figures from the art world: two artists, two collectors and two critics. The charm of The ING Discerning Eye exhibition lies in the unpredictability and variety of the selectors' choices. Works of lesser-known artists hang alongside those of more established artists helping to connect hundreds of new artists with new audiences." Gallery address: MALL GALLERIES The Mall (near Trafalgar Square) London, SW1

(Above: "WHAM" painted by Harry Pye and Rowland Smith)

(Above: "Neil Innes Unfinished version) by Harry Pye & Gordon Beswick 2012)

(Above: Nothing Personal)

(Above: "Holy Cow" by Harry Pye)

(Above: "Harry Flowers" by Harry Pye)

(Above image: "Another Time, Another Place" by Harry Pye & Marcus Cope.)

"I Remember" exhibition: About The Artists...

What follows is intended as an introduction to the artists taking part in the I REMEMBER exhibition. Please note: The images displayed are not necessarily what the artist will actually be exhibiting. Gordon Beswick Gordon was born in Stoke on Trent and educated at Brighton School of Art. "Puddle Girl" (oil on canvas, 2012) is a painting of his daughter Eva.

Mel Cole Mel is an artist and curator based in London. For more info visit her website: http://www.melcole.co.uk/biography.html

(Above: Untitled drawing by Mel Cole 2012) ***** Chris Coombes

(Above image: "Chris Coombes Clock". 2010. Battery operated wall clock, marker pen.) Chris Coombes studied fine at Chelsea graduating with a BA in 1998 and MA in 2010. During the summer of 2012 he exhibited at the Whitechapel Gallery as part of The London Open. His work can be found online at www.chriscoombes.cc ***** Rosalind Davis is a graduate from the Royal College of Art and Chelsea College of Art. An artist, curator, award-winning blogger, writer, lecturer and co-founder of ZeitgeistArtsProjects. She has exhibited nationally and internationally and has work in private and public collections. Her work is currently on display in the Courtauld Institute until 2013. From 2009-11 Davis co-founded and managed Core Gallery a dynamic artist-led gallery space working in collaboration with over 200 artists and curators. Davis lectures for a number of organisations including the Royal College of Art, University of the Arts, ArtQuest, a-n The Artists Information Company and AIR. As a writer she has contributed to The Guardian, a-n Magazine, Artlicks and Jotta. She has also led art tours for South London Art Map & The Whitechapel Art Gallery. Rosalind Davis is an AIR Council Member. www.rosalinddavis.co.uk

(Above image: "I Remember" by Rosalind Davis 25x30cm, 2012) ***** Caroline Gervay Caroline says: "I photograph as a way to relate to the world around me. My approach is more natural than reasoned and from that interaction appears something personal on what can come across as ordinary or trivial. The subjects can be quite varied. As part of the process I spend a considerable amount of time in my darkroom for "digestion". My photographs are both a trace of that exploration and the exploration itself. The viewer can experience them one way or another."

I remember I remember. Fiber-based silver gelatin print, 2012 For more info visit her website: http://www.carolinegervay.com/#!__contact ***** Dom Kennedy 2004 - Royal College of Art 1995 - Winchester School of Art

(Image above "Untitled" 2012 by Dom Kennedy) *** Tom Lovelace

(Above image: In Preparation for the Real (2010)by Tom Lovelace.) Tom lives and works in London. He studied Photography and Art History at the Bournemouth Arts Institute and Goldsmiths College, London. Recent solo exhibitions include Work Starts Here (Son Gallery, London, 2012) and Gouge (Centre for Photography, Aarhus, Denmark, 2011). Recent group exhibitions include Uncommon Ground (Flowers Gallery, London, 2012) and Ristruttura (ProjectB Gallery, Milan, Italy, 2012). His work has been selected for the Terry O’Neill Award and reviewed in Time Out London and the Financial Times. Most recently he has been awarded an Anna Mahler Residency in Spoleto, Italy, where is currently engaging with the legacies of David Smith and Sol Lewitt. Lovelace’s practice is absorbed in a conceptual methodology and experimentation, yet upholds the labour tradition of artist as craftsman and the age-old realisation that beauty can negotiate a powerful allure of the imagination. Claudia Corrieri. Crossing disciplines and formal divisions within art is a common trend among a more interesting group of emerging artists, and Tom's visual sophistication combined with a fearless employment of broad artistic forms marks him out as an exciting young artist and one to watch. Bridget Croaker Website: www.tomlovelace.co.uk ***** Chloe Mortimer

(Above: "Another Time, Another Place" collaged by Chloe Mortimer) Chloe says: "I am a self taught artist based in Brighton. My work has been exhibited at Five Years Gallery, L-13 Gallery, The Barbican, Sartorial, and The Lucky Strike Gallery. In 2010 my work was featured in Saatchi's Art & Music magazine. Last year I was included in The Other Art Fair." ***** Simon Munnery

Simon, (who is also known by his stagenames Alan Parker: Urban Warrior and The League Against Tedium) is a comedy writer and experimental standup comedian.The Observer newspaper called Simon, ‘One of the most original and talented comedians in the country’. He has his own website: www.simonmunnery.com ***** Kate Murdoch Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemurdochartist.com/ (Below: detail from "Places I Remember" by Kate Murdoch)

*** Liam Newnham

(The above image is Idiot abstraction by Liam Newnham 2012) You can find out more about this artist/curator by visiting: http://www.liamnewnham.com/) ***** Christopher Owen

(Above image by Christopher Owen). ***** Liz Purchase Liz was educated at The University of Greenwich and Winchester School of Art. Her recent employers include The Royal Academy of Art.

(Above: Untitled painting by Liz Purchase 2012) ***** Kes Richardson

(Above image: "Cacophany" 2011 by Kes Richardson, acrylic on canvas 120 x 150cm) For Kes's c.v visit: http://www.kesrichardson.com/data/bio/bio01.html ***** Alli Sharma ***** Alli Sharma is an artist based in London. Exploring notions of identity, memory, longing and loss, she takes an ambiguous glance back at her own past to create revealing, fluid, gestural paintings. Interested in our emotional relationships with things and the stories we tell ourselves about our lives, her loose, revealing paint-marks boldly attempt to capture mementos of forgotten days, reflecting and contemplating things loved and longed for. With an emphasis on the materiality of their surface, Sharma transforms the overlooked into substantial painterly icons that evoke hidden histories.

(Above: "Poodle Crochet" by Alli Sharma, oil on canvas 2007) Marie Smith

(Above image by Marie Smith) ***** Annabel Tilley Annabel Tilley makes drawings currently inspired by the history of English painting. Shortlisted for The 2005 Jerwood Drawing Prize, she has exhibited widely including at fruehsorge contemporary drawing in Berlin, Transition Gallery, Galerie8, WW Gallery and C4RD in London, Oriel Davis in Wales and Towner, Eastbourne. Tilley co-founded Talk About The Work, an artists talk & peer critique programme run at Claremont Studios, Hastings 2006-09, featuring talks by artists like: Rose Wylie, Delaine Le Bas & Susan Collis. In 2012 Annabel Tilley co-founded and now runs Zeitgeist Arts Projects with the artist, Rosalind Davis. Annabel Tilley had a career in the city before retraining in Fine Art Painting at The University of Brighton, graduating in 2003. She also has an MA in literature and works from a studio in New Cross, South London. Her work is held in several private collections in the UK and USA. She lectures on professional practice for artists and has written for a-n Magazine, Garageland, Arty Magazine, and contributed to The Guardian on-line. Annabel Tilley is an AIR Council Member. www.annabeltilley.com www.zeitgeistartsprojects.com The image below is: "Rememberance of Plants Past" which is 60x40cm ink on paper, made in 2012.

***** Barry Thompson

(Above image "Big Brown Eyes" drawn by Barry Thompson. ***** Julian Wakeling (Photo below: Bewick St Lady photographed by Julian Wakeling in 2012)

Julian says:"I was born in Sunderland and attended Lincoln College of Art and Central St Martins. I studied graphic design and photography but have never been professional in either field. I have variously worked for the Post Office, the National Gallery and been a cycle courier. I used to make postcard art and have produced house music records. Last year I won the Fitzrovia Photography Prize at the Diemar-Noble Gallery. My street photography project is ongoing. I take photographs every day." www.flickr.com/photos/julianwakeling ***** Aleksandra Wojcik

(Above image: by Aleksandra Wojcik from the series "Postcards from my life") Aleksandra recently featured in the Saatchi Gallery & Channel 4's New Sensations. Alex says:"I’m interested in themes borrowed from literature and fine art landscape, portrait, nudes but related to the time we live and I always try to leave room for the viewer to make their own interpretations. It is important for me to ‘experience’ my photography. I often work alone, accompanied by different emotions, fear, joy or desire. I treat photography as a language, a game, as a dialogue, like meditation and as an adventure." For more info visit her website: http://www.aleksandrawojcik.com/# ***** Paul Wye

You can follow Paul on twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_wye Paul says: "My practice engages with the artefact, it’s place within a collection and the context created by the assembly of these groups of objects. For me, the museum acts as the institutionalised collection; objects are ordered to the curator’s particular criteria forming arrays, patterns and logical systems. I become interested when there is a sense of another, more eccentric order, at work." For full c.v visit: http://www.paulwye.co.uk/index.php?/more-about-paul/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday the 14th of November is the date of the p.v of "I Remember" at The A-side B-side Gallery (6.30pm - 9.30pm). The show runs until Dec 2nd, the gallery is open Thursday to Sunday 12 - 6pm or by appointment. The address is 5-9 Amhurst Terrace, Hackney E8 2BT For more info e-mail: asidebsidegallery@hotmail.com 44787634029 or 447792126195

The Peace Project

Respect to Ben Moore and friends for making a success of the Art Below Peace Project. Ben invited Gordon Beswick & Harry Pye to contribute to the show. Their painting of Martin Luther King ("No Justice Means No Peace") appeared in both Gallery Different and Regent's Park tube station. Here are some of Ben's photos from the private view. Art Lyst gave the show at Gallery Different a 4 star review and said it was a: "must see exhibition" and "one of the highlights of Frieze Week". Other fans of the project included Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger...

(The photos above are... Mark Wallinger with artist Maria Gallastegui, Curator Ben Moore, Cathy & Alex from Transition Gallery) For more info about Ben Moore and Art Below visit: Art Below Ltd. www.artbelow.org.uk info@artbelow.org.uk Tel: 0207 731 0333 Fax: 0207 731 3914

Underneath the Hoxton Arches with Billy Childish

Billy Childish is exhibiting 17 new works at Hoxton Arches, Arch 402 Cremer Street, London. The show runs until the 21st October. The title of the show is "Frozen Estuary and Other Paintings of the Divine Ordinary, Part II". The exhibition will be open to the public every day from 11 AM – 7PM. I think it's the best collection of Billy's work that's been shown so far. Here are some photos from the p.v and the press release...

“I was born in Chatham, by the River Medway. Up until I was 9 we went on family holidays, several times a year, to Seasalter: a stretch of shingle on the North Kent Coast/Thames Estuary, lined with weatherboard shacks. As a toddler I would be taken crabbing on the flats by some older girls, then in 1963 the sea froze and the crabs were all but wiped out. That stuck in my mind. There were other stories the grown ups spoke of: a lady drowned after getting lost in the fog whilst out cockling; a great wave that washed away the shacks in the floods of the 1950s. Later, as a teenager, I was an apprentice stonemason in the Naval Dockyard at Chatham. Here the old lags told me about the big freeze in 1947 when some of the fellows walked to work over the river. The stories I heard as a youngster have remained the most potent with me: they are what grips the imagination; when you're a kid you know less of the boundaries of the world - have never read a map - and you’re listing to men and women who are from another age (many of them brought up by Victorians), then the truth becomes very fluid. The Frozen Estuary paintings started from an old photo I found of ice-bound ships on the Medway during a big freeze in 1890's. This lead me to look for other references and I happened across a group of photos belonging to a family who farmed oysters on the Essex side of the estuary, many showing the big freeze of 1947. Like most kids I loved it when the world was stopped by snow; when great buses were trapped and school was abandoned. To see ships held in ice - the sea itself frozen – that’s something every imagination is drawn to and can wonder at.” Billy Childish, May 2012

Billy Childish was born in Chatham, Kent in 1959. After leaving secondary school at sixteen—and being denied an interview to the local art school—he was employed at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham as an apprentice stonemason. During this short period of employment he produced about six hundred drawings, which gained him entry to London’s St. Martin's School of Art. Childish's defiance of the formalities of art education eventually led to his expulsion in 1981. He then embarked on an artistic, literary, and musical odyssey exploring a broad range of worldly themes including the sexual abuse he experienced as a child, and alcoholism. Made over 35 years of continual creative activity, this extensive body of work has included the publication of five novels; more than forty volumes of confessional poetry; the production of over one hundred albums, and many cycles of oil paintings, woodcuts, and graphic works, which have earned Childish a legendary reputation worldwide.

His work has been the subject of important solo and group exhibitions in New York, London, Seoul, and Berlin, including major concurrent solo exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Art, London and White Columns, New York in 2010. He also participated in the British Art Show 5, which toured throughout four cities in the UK: Edinburgh, Southampton, Cardiff, and Birmingham.

The next issue of The Rebel comes with a free 5 track e.p.

Attention all fans of quality rock and pop. An astonishing five track compact disc is being given away gratis with the next issue of The Rebel. The "I Remember e.p." features "Young Stewart" sung by Adrian R. Shaw and his friends THE BEALE, and it features "I Just Rock Up At These Things" by RUSSELL WALKER (of The Pheroemoans)and it features a demo version of "San Fransisco" performed by ORPHEUS KNOXX, and it features "Philae" performed by TROGONS, and it features "Cul De Sac" (a.k.a Cookie Part III) performed by MIKEY GEORGESON. This priceless e.p is not available in any shop! It comes in a signed edition of 50. Each C.D was bought in Tescos and then drawn on with special pens by Harry Pye BA Fine Art (hons). Come to the private view of "I Remember" at The A Side B Side Gallery and snap up your copy of The Rebel for just £2.

(Below: Track One is by The Beale)

(Image below is Russell Walker)

(Image below: Orpheus Knoxx)

(Image below represents Trogons)

(Image below: Mikey Georgeson)