Bruce Bickford works with the visionary madness of a desert mystic, and gazing into his work is like encountering the Aleph in Borges' story, a spot in which one can see everything in the universe from every angle simultaneously, without distortion, overlapping or confusion. Worlds collide, vistas spring to life, hamburgers morph into faces, battlefields explode into flowers. It's absolutely stunning. Working mostly in clay animation, Bickford is probably best known for his work with Frank Zappa, with whom he collaborated from 1974 to 1980. Zappa added music to Bickford's clay animations in Baby Snakes, Dub Room Special, and The Amazing Mr. Bickford.
And he is amazing. When Bruce brings his latest jaw-dropping artwork to our weekly gatherings of The Friends of the Nib, he blows the minds of even the most jaded artists. In this photo, taken at our recent live art jam at the Seattle Art Museum, Bruce Bickford (left) is pictured with fellow artists "Calamity" Jon Morris (in the fez) and Jim Woodring. The evening was a huge success and we hope the Seattle Art Museum invites us back soon. We all had a great time.A trailer from "Monster Road," an award-winning documentary about Bruce and his work, directed by Brett Ingram in 2004. Rent it or buy it! Currently Bruce is working on a variety of epic tales and mutations that are touched by magic. Be sure to check out Bruce Bickfords 's official website here.
Currently, The Friends of the Nib are busy working on a couple upcoming shows, including our annual Halloween art party, details coming soon. (Shown above is the poster I did for last year's show--click to enlarge). We meet regularly and informally at our "clubhouse," the Cafe Racer, a bar with personality and a particular eclat. Drop by any Wednesday night and bring a sketchbook and your best game. We'd love to meet you.
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