Creative Sugar Magazine - Sept 2012

CREATIVE SUGAR
THE FALL ISSUE

2 Fall 2012 CREATIVE SUGAR
COVER
Denim on Denim....Page 36
Photography by Olena Shkoda
Fashion Directon by Sherah Jones
Makeup by Te$$ Money Kim
Models: Souhela (MC2 Model Management) VladimirGvozd
Vladimir: Ramuanes T-shirt by MUA MUA
Wide leg white denim: Bufalo David Biton
Hat is Stylists own
Shoes by Vans
Souhela: Leather Fringed Top: Sylvie Schimmel
Vintage Gold Earrings: Stylists own
Floral Straight Leg Denim: Bufalo David Biton
Blue Acid Wash Skinnys: Bufalo David Biton
Hand Crochet Freddy Mercury Doll: MUA MUA
CREATIVE SUGAR Fall 2012 3
Creative Sugar
Issue NO. 2
Editor-in-Chief
Art Director
Sabrina Scot
Copy Editor
Marilyn Recht
Contributng Editors
Jefrey Grunthaner, Visual Arts
John Thomas, Performing Arts
Editorial Photographers
Olena Shkoda
Betania Sikora
Fashion Director
Sherah Jones
Wardrobe Stylist
Kristyn Schimmy Schimmerling
Makeup Artst
Te$$ Money Kim
Photographers
Laura Bluher
Joseph Gallo
Writers
Ethan Boisvert
Kenrick iLikeZachCabey
Kenneth Lundquist, Jr.
Jen Pit
Nicole Nkisoy Sawyer
2012 Creatve Sugar magazine is
published by Creatve Sugar Design, LLC.
All rights to art, words, photos, design and
copyrights are the property of the Artst.
All work in this publicaton may not be used
without the Artsts consent.
Headquarters: New York, New York.
Contact:
info@creatve-sugar.net
ph: 1-888-669-5513
web: creatve-sugar.net
facebook.com/creatvesugarmagazine
Welcome to the second issue of Creatve Sugar! In this issue we have
more content with respect to both the Visual and Performing Arts.
As always, you can count on us to cover artsts and creatve topics as
well as feature fashion editorials. Sometmes we provide a combina-
ton of bothsuch as Kevin William Reeds stylized photos. Both the
Reed concepts and the Denim on Denim fashion editorial have been
brought to you by our inspired Fashion Director, Sherah Joneswho
would agree afer seeing this issue that the miniheart atacks
have been worth it! Our new Contributng Photographer Betania
Sikora shot the Designer KahriAnne Kerr story as well as 6 Creatve
Ways to Wear a Necklace. The images are beautful, accompanied
by the enthusiastc words of our new writer, Nicole Nkisoy Sawyer,
with Fashion Directon by Schimmy. I want to also thank the mod-
els in this issue, all beautfully striking individuals, whose looks and
work are fawless.
Our Featured Artst this issue is Jules Marquis, who is well known
in certain circles, but just in case you dont know who they are, new
Visual Arts Contributng Editor Jef Grunthaners eloquent piece tru-
ly informs about their art and their concepts.
We also have a new Performing Arts Contributng Editor, John
Thomas, whose writng style is to ask those fnely crafed questons
that mater. See his piece on Esther Nef, one hard-working Artst
Extraordinaire. And be sure to read iLikeZachs piece, an exclusive
interview with Comedian Jermaine Fowlerit will be sure to put a
smile on your face. Photos were shot by Betania, with Fashion Di-
recton by Schimmy and Makeup by Te$$ Money, whose makeup
artstry truly complements the concepts. Also in this issue, Jen Pit
provides a sneak peek into the Sleep No More performance.
Id like to extend a huge thank you to Marilyn Recht, our Copy Editor,
who helped to make the words that much beter for you to enjoy.
She asked all the important questons, making sure the reader gets
the whole story. Be sure to check out her piece on legendary perfor-
mance artst Cleopatrick.
And fnally, a huge thanks to those of you who gave support from
day one, especially Joseph Gallo. I could go on and on about the
work of everyone for this issue and how much I am impressed! Each
Contributor on board provided professionalism and has exemplifed
creatve style, technique and skill. They are dedicated to providing
the latest on emerging artsts hailing from New York. Thank you for
supportng Creatve Sugar, enjoy!
FROM THE EDI TOR
EDI TOR- I N- CHI EF
V
I
S
U
A
L

A
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MI CHEL BEL L I CI - CANVAS REVOLUTI ON 6
BY KENNETH LUNDQUI ST, J R
J UL ES MARQUI S - FEATURED ARTI STS 12
BY J EFF GRUNTHANER
KEVI N WI L L I AM REED, ARTI ST 18
FASHI ON DI RECTI ON BY SHERAH J ONES
PHOTOS BY OL ENA SHKODA
TAKE ON FI L M 26
BY J OSEPH GAL LO
KAHRI ANNE KERR: FASHI ON DESI GNER 33
WORDS BY NI COL E NKI SOY SAWYER
PHOTOS BY BETANI A SI KORA
WARDROBE STYL I NG BY SCHI MMY
DENI M ON DENI M 36
FASHI ON DI RECTI ON BY SHERAH J ONES
PHOTOS BY OL ENA SHKODA
6 CREATI VE WAYS TO WEAR A NECKL ACE 44
WORDS BY NI COL E NKI SOY SAWYER
P
E
R
F
O
R
M
A
N
C
E

A
R
T
CEL EBRATI NG SL EEP NO MORE 48
BY J EN PI TT
ESTHER NEFF & THE PPL 50
BY J OHN THOMAS
CL EOPATRI CK, PERFORMANCE ARTI ST 56
BY MARI LYN RECHT
J ERMAI NE FOWL ER, COMEDI AN 58
WORDS BY KENRI CK I L I KEZACH CABEY
CHARI SSE MI L L S: POP OPERA DI VA 64
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY ETHAN BOI SVERT
I get prety aggressive with the canvassometmes
like, Fuck! I ripped the canvas. Michel Bellici says to
me about one of her new commissions, a 4x5 foot
canvas.
Ill throw baby oil on it just to make mess. My best
work is when I struggle with the piece, thats when I
care more about it and give it the passion it deserves.
It wont let me alone untl all of a sudden it clicks, and
ART & SWEDEN
BY KATARI NA SMI RNOVA
ETHAN BOI SVERT, ABSTRACT PAI NTER
BY KENNETH LUNDQUI ST, J R.
MEL I SSA ROBI N S PHOTOGRAPHY
J ESSI CA SL AGL E A. K. A SL AGL ETRON
BY SABRI NA SCOTT
BAD ASS
PHOTOGRAPHER BRI AN PANGI L I NAN
STYL ED BY CL ARENCE SI NGELTON
Canvas
REVOLUTION
By Kenneth Lundquist, Jr.
Michel Bellici
All work
featured
here by the
Artst is
unttled.
I get prety aggressive with the canvas
sometmes like, Fuck! I ripped the canvas,
Michel Bellici says to me about one of her
new commissions, a 4x5-foot paintng.
Ill throw baby oil on it just to make mess.
My best work is when I struggle with the
piece, thats when I care more about it and
give it the passion it deserves. It wont let
me alone untl all of a sudden it clicks, and
then satsfes the drama of its creaton.
The sun is streaming through thunderstorm
clouds while I speak with Michel on the
phone. The clouds are pendulous in moody
purples, about to burst into a deluge. She
is describing how her creatve process is
evolving into an organic fow of channeling,
rather than her traditonal, trained practce
of study in Italy at the renowned Lorenzo de
Medici School of Art in Florence.
Im moving from nature-based fgures
directly into the human form, she says.
Nearly all of her most recent work contains
a human fgure. Walking the street, taking
the train, watching the sunlight through the
buildings, seeing how people interact with
each other. I witness it and absorb all that
emoton, then channel that into a canvas. I
intensely watch them.
Studying at the University of Massachusets
at Amherst, and living in the art scene of
Northampton early in her career, she felt
that moving to New York was completely
BELOW - Michel Bellici.
Photo courtesy of the Artst.
necessary afer returning from study in
Florence.
Being in Brooklyn is incredible. I love
Bushwick! The people that were born
and brought up there are like family.
Open arms. I love their Bushwick, old
Bushwick.
Her enthusiasm for everything New York
is contagious, and we banter about all
the fabulous experiences one has in this
amazing place. Michel goes on to remi-
nisce about her newbie days as an art-
ist. The frst college I went to, I had a
professor that said I should quit being
a painter. So I did, for like 5 yearsand
it was the worst thing I couldve done.
When I was studying in Italy, it was Ro-
saa teacher there in Florencewho
got me started again. She said to take
some charcoal, make a powder out of
the stcks, and use my hands to create. I
did, and my art came as a storm! Af-
ter a full day of classes, I would line
my villa with paper, and just paint. I
made some amazing work, and that
was it; my whole life changed, and
I became me. I feel like I was truly
born when I was in Italy.
Michel considers herself a creator
of fguratve abstract expression-
ism. She paints only with her hands
and fngers; sometmes using small
ragsold T-shirts. Without a barrier
between her hands and the canvas,
Michels work is evident of emotons
that are altogether powerful and
vulnerable, raw and exposed, reveal-
ing and hidden.
I chose paintng because I had to.
There never was a thought process
to decide to be an artst. I just am.
Ive tried to focus on other things,
or have a normal job, but no mat-
ter what, I always need to paint. I
start to ache if I havent painted.
My life is totally awesomeI just
wish for more canvas so I can
paint non-stop.
For more about MICHEL BELLICI,
visit: www.studiobellici.com
S
FEATURED ARTISTS
The Art of
Jules Marquis
by Jeffrey Grunthaner
New Directions:
trictly speaking, Jules Marquis does not ex-
ist. The name denotes a collaboratve proj-
ect by Daniel Turner and Colin Snapp, who
variously sign works Jules Marquis whenever
their respectve creatve eforts need ventlaton or
cross-examinaton. The upshot of their long-tme
friendship, Jules is perhaps less a collaboraton
between Turner and Snapp than a dialogue, a form
of questoning, an appeal for art to be more than
art-making and to make honesty visible. The fact
that Jules Marquis can be diferently pronounced
(and is, by both artsts) as either a French name
or its English equivalent (Marqwis) bespeaks the
kind of polyvalence one has to consider in refer-
ence to the project. The works atributable to Jules
Marquis deliberately hover somewhere between
concept and realizaton, existng within certain
contextual precedents that they inevitably appro-
priate and transform.
Jules Marquis occupies the third person: a he, she,
or even an it that Turner and Snapp are wont to dress
in a variety of media. Consider, for example, Delta Per-
formance JFK to LGA (2009). The project was a perfor-
mance in which the rubric of theater had been cast of.
No curtain was ever drawn; nothing was ever concealed.
Rather, all actvity within the performatve context took
on a directly efcacious social functon. A tcket was
purchased and a fight was taken from JFK to LaGuar-
dia airport; everything was pragmatcally enacted. Yet
the tcket of purchase remained afer the performance,
the actvity of taking a fight having dissolved into a vis-
ible object, like a souvenir. Framed, the tcket became
an art object, and took on a double sense. On the one
hand, the price of such a brief fight was made apparent:
$493.47. On the other, the tcket indicated an invisible
history, an accomplished fact whose ultmate meaning
resisted closure. Delta Performance was designed to
showcase the dialectc of distance and proximity within
The Smithsonian Broadcast. Three hour
site specifc meditaton to be broadcast
on NBC. Wedding ring, face paint, turnips,
purgatory hat, New Balance sneakers.
Melissa Robin's Photography
i llustrates Dreams
22 hour site specifc light blind.
In collaboraton with AEO LED Billboard
Project, Times Square New York NY 2011.
Photo provided by Artsts.
RIGHT -
contnued from previous page...
Jules
Marquis
what one would otherwise think to be a contnuous
area. But there is a moment of interpretaton, of inter-
rogaton on the part of the viewer, which inserts him
or her into the overall meaning of the piece. The tcket
remains in and of the world, its frameable presence
giving way to unframed instrumentality.
Resistance to closure is typical of Jules Marquis, and
refects Turners and Snapps views on art-makings
place in the nexus of media culture. An almost mini-
malist tendency underlies their worksimilar to that
of Vito Acconci, who saw in minimalism a way to es-
cape the limited confnes of art and create through
acton directly. But rather than go beyond what can be
placed in the confnes of a framed or delimited space,
Jules Marquis appropriates the expectatons associ-
ated with specifc media, contexts, and spaces, trans-
forming them while simultaneously co-optng their
original functon. Thus, the form of each work says
something apart from consideratons of content; and
social precedent becomes crucial for our understand-
ing of a work.
Perhaps Jules Marquis most summatve appropria-
ton has been that of the NBC peacock, which serves
as a kind of banner for the Jules Marquis enterprise
playing on the ambiguity of the word enterprise as
both an agent of commerce and an exploratory ven-
ture. The peacock symbol fgures heavily in The Smith-
sonian Broadcast (2009), which was a one-tme-only,
on-site performance enacted in Virginia (at a gallery
owned by the artsts). Again, the performance was
practcal actvity more than theater, and involved
Snapp seated on what looked like a vegetable throne,
earnestly trying to meditate in blackface while a pro-
jected NBC peacock displayed uninterruptedly behind
him. The sheer duraton of the peacock image killed
the life of the symbol and empted it of its original
meaning. The performance thus stands as represen-
tatve of Jules Marquis in that it rejects the unity of a
single message, optng instead for a double meaning
that turns precedent against itself. This rejecton of a
single meaning, the resistance to closure, states indi-
rectly what in all likelihood cannot be stated clearly
at all. Colin Snapp (www.colinsnapp.com) and Daniel
Turner (www.danieladamturner.com) are represented
by Journal Gallery in Williamsburg. Their website for
Jules Marquis is: www.julesmarquis.com.
Melissa Robin's Photography
i llustrates Dreams
Good Game. Two-hour looped
performance of a post baseball game
hand slap, 2010.
ABOVE - Delta Performance JFK to LGA.
$493.47, fight no. 174 from NY to NY. Delta
tcket, frame 14 x 21, 2009.

Vanna White. Exhibiton view, 2010.
Jules Marquis
Artwork: " Tumbleweed"
Hexagon knit leather jacket: Sunghee Bang
"Sade" layered chifon maxi skirt: Ra'mon Lawrence
Wood horn with pentagram necklace: Stylist's own
Military boots: Bed St
Kevin
William
Reed
ARTIST
Artwork: King Drag
"Digby" zipper vest- Ra'mon Lawrence
"Lowell" raglan boxy tee: Ra'mon Lawrence
"Alastaire" drop crotch twill trouser: Ra'mon Lawrence
Shoes: Bed St
ARTIST
I visited a group show called Anatomically Incorrect
in Brooklyn, a few weeks ago. It was there that I saw
Kevins work--discarded materials restructured to cre-
ate layers and shapes, hanging from the warehouse
walls. Pieces that were once throwaways were re-
vived, revisited and brought to new life as 3-D instal-
latons that had creature characteristcs. Simply put,
Kevins inspiraton is the usage of industrial wasteor
trash.
He said, The concrete walls of the warehouse were
partcularly challenging to hang on, but the space was
exactly what the work has always been looking for and
it felt really at home.
This home was at the Alternatve Arts Associatons an-
nual big show. The AAA is a not-for-proft arts organi-
zaton whose platorm is to bring many diferent forms
of art together. Dance, music, performance, video,
two-dimensional, three-dimensional, you name it. It
was all inspired work.
Whats your name and where are based? Kevin Wil-
liam Reed, based in Brooklyn, NY (Bed-Stuy)
How do you describe yourself? Artst. Which inevita-
bly leads to the queston what kind of artst? But for
me the specifcaton isnt necessary. Artst suits what
I do without restricton. Im a creator of things but no
longer limit myself to one discipline or structure.
What do you use to create? While I cant specify a me-
dium I can certainly tell you what I use to create. Im
really into trash. Specifcally industrial waste/scraps/
lefovers and the possibilites therein. Im really inter-
ested in a Baroque sense of drapery, folds upon folds
upon folds, aesthetc elegance/ornateness. However,
I tend to fnd this in the mundane, the wasted. Im
excited by the uncanny valley that is created when two
polar opposite aesthetcs (garbage and Baroque sensi-
bilites) combine to create an object or a space that is
at once beautful and full yet also derelict and uncom-
fortable. I think that puts the viewer in a really crazy
place. I also love acrylic paint, spray paint, woodblock
prints (theres something really crazy about using a
chisel to carve an image rather than just drawing it
Makes drawing seem wimpy. That said Im also an
avid drawer, but chisels, man.
How do you describe your work? Sustainable, aggres-
sive, creepy, billowing, excessive, raunchy, rowdy, dan-
gerous (six-foot, razor-sharp, coiled saw blades), loud
as fuck, mindful, unimpeded.
What inspires you? Scumbags (and their environ-
ments), Legends of the Hidden Temple, sewer rats,
R. Crumb, Hellraiser, sunlit forest foors, raging water,
Versailles, hallucinogenic memories, dive bars, T-Rex,
velociraptors, Mario ghosts, queer culture, the 90s,
Ki-L, my tatoo artsts (Becki Wilson & Jason Flanell),
getng home covered in dirt, swarms, razor blades, bowl
socks, my Grandma, porcupine quills, platypi, Bed-Stuy,
Where the Wild Things Are, the Subway, abandoned plac-
es.
What motvates you when you may not be inspired? Eg,
music, etc. My own sense of stagnaton, of not doing
enough. There are defnitely some bands that Ill throw
on if Im not feeling it at the moment (Handsome Furs,
Cold War Kids, Django Django) but the only thing that re-
ally gets me going when Im out of it is my need to con-
stantly create and one-up myself.
Why do you create? As a way to cope with my brain.
Lots of detrimental and circular thoughts up there. When
I begin to create something, even if its trivial at frst it
always sorts out my thinking. Then my work is able to
serve as the medium with which I can communicate
those thoughts So I guess, in a backwards sort of way
I create to artculate my thoughts and vantage point, but
out of necessity (peace of mind) not out of a need to be
heard (necessarily).
Describe any elaborate actvites, rituals you may have
done while seeking inspiraton. Weird queston. I dont
think I perform elaborate rituals to seek inspiraton, I
think the rituals come from being inspired. I used to walk
about 20 blocks of Brooklyn bordering the Navy Yard 5-7
nights a week in search of some sort of discarded mate-
rial that I could bend, foat, drape, pinch, break or paint
with and it eventually became the strangest thing I did
as I would get waist-deep in a dumpster flled with hu-
man trash (the majority of which is half-eaten food I soon
found out) fendishly throwing materials to collect. The
few individuals who got to witness it never really saw it
in the jovial light I did. To them I was a dirty guter kid
with a fery glow of excitement in his eyes and armfuls of
trash.
When did you know you wanted to be an artst? I dont
know if I ever knew. There was just never any other op-
ton. My life is very up-in-the-air and I have very few con-
stants, but I think that is what I always knew from the
tme I was a self-cognizant child. I never saw one con-
crete thing for myself or an endpoint or a setling. I guess
I always knew I would be living the life of an artst, I just
didnt necessarily know thats what it was untl later.
What do you hope to accomplish in 5 years? To make
the best damn chocolate chip cookies anyones ever
tasted, make an exorbitant amount of work, take over an
abandoned church for an art space, show in Eastern Eu-
rope, and take over the world.
Which is your own favorite piece or body of work? De-
scribe why. Right now my favorite piece is the giant 3 x 8
woodblock print I completed afer the trash work youve
seen. This is both because its my most accomplished
print and the newest directon Ive moved in (hypersex-
ual) but also because it got STOLEN in the last show that
by Sabri na Scott
Artwork: "King Drag" (tail)
Cocoon wool coat: Sunghee Bang
"Lowell" raglan boxy tee: Ra'mon Lawrence
"Alastaire" drop crotch twill trouser- Ra'mon Lawrence
Spiked chain necklace: Topman
Shoes: Bed St
Artwork: b.u.g. #9
Cable knit sweater: Rodebjer
Suspenders: Rodebjer
Bone necklace: Neqo Habibi
Bradley lurex denim trouser shorts: Ramon Lawrence
Boots: Bed St
Artwork: b.u.g. #3
"McGuiness" hat- Sunghee Bang
Round framed glasses: Artst's own
"Emma" dress: Ra'mon Lawrence
"Elrick" engineered twill trouser: Ra'mon Lawrence
"Tomas" reversible leather belt: Ra'mon Lawrence
Boots: Bed St
Artwork: "Roaring Expletve"
"Fountaine" metallic brocade blazer: Ra'mon Lawrence
Wool vest: Rodebjer
"Elrick" engineered twill trouser: Ra'mon Lawrence
Bono hardware necklace: Hitch Ring
Shoes: Bed St
it was in (afer it had already been sold) so theres a weird
enigma surrounding it the most backhanded compliment
ever?
Who is your favorite artst? Describe why. Thats a nearly
impossible queston to answer. There are so many artsts
that I am inspired by and naming one or even a few would
do injustce to the league of inspiratonal artsts Ive come
across. However, if I could be any artst throughout history
it would be Hieronymus Bosch cause that dude was crazy
and did whatever the fuck he wanted within a ridiculously
Catholic and controlled society.
Any words to live by for an aspiring artst startng out?
Hear everyone. Listen to few. Follow none. And do what-
ever the fuck you want.
Check out: kevinwilliamreed.com
(contnued from page 21)
Artwork: "The Guardian"
Skull plate necklace: Michael Spirito
Raw edge mesh vest: Ra'mon Lawrence
Cascading sweater vest: Sunghee Bang
"Morgan" cocoon tee: Ra'mon Lawrence
"Raferty" drop crotch challis trouser- Ra'mon Lawrence
"Tomas" reversible leather belt- R amon Lawrence
Military boots: Bed St
Take On Film
by Joseph Gallo
Seagulls hovering on the beach, Coney Island
2011 - 2012 Color Film.
It was a hot sunny day. I saw the opportunity to
photograph these seagulls. The image tells a cooler
tale than the sweltering heat of the day. I like the
rich color and contrast and interestng acton of the
seagulls in mid air. Film image has a special charm
that is diferent than images captured on the sensor
of a digital camera. 400 ISO flm using a zoom lens
and a flter.
Firework Bursts Coney Island Color Film ISO400 mul-
tple exposures.
Coney Island Friday night summer freworks. There
was a sweet breeze over the beach afer a hot day.
I set up my camera on a tripod while picnicking on a
blanket in the sand. 50mm.
Monster on the Cyclone Black and White
Film. Coney Island. Fall of 2011.
The subject of this photo makes it one of
my favorites. A big scary monster reaches
out from the under part of the Cyclone, it
feels like a 1960s B-Movie and I am in it.
Some things just look beter in black and
white. I fnd many images become good
or beter photos when the color element is
reduced to shades of light and dark. This
is possibly because it leaves room for the
observers eye to fll in. Or, is it that there
is no coloring for the eye to cast judgment
on? There are no blues to go with the reds
or blue to clash with red. A womans lip-
stck doesnt necessarily have to be the
right shade of red, it would only need to
be dark enough and may not even be red
at all.
Mermaids Cove. Black and White flm.
Lonely Mermaid can be heard singing if you listen carefully. Photo taken at
Coney Island. Images of some places can adopt a diferent life in Black and
White.
Josephs bald head shining. Black and White Film
Did I spend hours carefully setng up for this shot in Rockys gym? I wont say. Amazing how capturing it as an
image for example, shootng from diferent angles and making use of light can manipulate ones appearance. This
type of contrast is not what I am used to seeing with a digital camera. I suppose a digital image could be manipu-
lated to appear like this one. I rarely see an image come straight from the camera having such contrast with light
and dark. I feel surprised looking at this image realizing that I am the person in the photo. By changing the angles
and light it efects the expression and mood of the image. Camera angle plays an important role in the power or
message the image refects.
Check out: juzeppy.com
The Pavement Cracks Coat Dress by
Kahri. Fall 2012 Collection
Q & A Designer Designer Q & A
Kahri: Clothes for the Rebellious Fashionista
It began in Iowawith just a sewing machine in hand and
an unbreakable focus to fulfll a long-tme dream of build-
ing a fashion career in New York Citya cold city where
only the strong survive. KahriAnne Kerr took a leap of
faith, relocatng herself and her fashion career from Iowa
to NYC. Work really hard and if you love it, dont give up
she says. KahriAnne set out in August 2003 to atend the
fashion design program at NYCs prestgious Fashion Inst-
tute of Technology. She got started as an entrepreneur
selling her collecton in NYC stores and e-boutques. De-
termined to succeed Kahri also set up a temporary mini-
store in SoHo, as a part of the designer collectve, Burrow,
in Spring 2005. Afer FIT, like any new fashion gradu-
ate, her search for employment meant grinding her way
through the concrete jungle, working various design jobs
in the fashion industry.
KahriAnne began to focus on designing and selling her
own collecton. She taught herself to create edgy bold
clothing for the rebellious fashionista. A hip, funky, rocker
chick with a girly edge, she lives a fun and fearless life-
style, independently strutng through the streets of a fast
city. Shes sexy and confdent and makes her own rules in
life. Shes not afraid to set her own trends, mixing a litle
sharp-edged leather with sophistcated sof fun! Kahri-
Annes collection offers a unique variety of daytime and
evening wear, beautiful layers of soft fabrics mixed with
sharp edges. I also love retro styles of the 1920s, 1940s,
1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, she says.
Music is her main source for inspiraton. The beauty of
music has a unique way of inspiring the creatve mind;
simply put, music is art and art is fashion. Kahri listens to
a large variety of music and researches the artsts. I love
learning about the person behind the song and the lyrics
too. I love amazing lyrics, she says. Each item in the col-
lecton is named afer a song by the artst who inspired
her that season. The collectons are especially inspired by
old school rock n roll, as well as fashion icon, Gwen Ste-
fani. She also admires London because of its punk history
and fashion. This is KahriAnnes own personal style. She
only wears her own collecton, Kahri by KahriAnne, al-
though she does wear other designer jeans and shoes.
KahriAnnes biggest success is just being able to keep on
doing what she loves to do. She has somehow managed
to stay afoat through a rocky economy, surviving in a
compettve fashion industry. Ten years and not giving
up like so many designers have done, says KahriAnne.
The saying goes in fashion: one day youre in, the next
day youre out.
Q: You grew up in Iowa and come from a Midwest
background; how has that infuenced you?
A: Well, I dont think my design aesthetc comes from
my upbringing. Its prety much out of nowhere that Im
a designer, but as a person Im stll very much a small-
town Midwestern farmers daughter. Im very grateful
to have grown up where I did, but Im also glad to have
moved out to NYC.
Q: What advice would you tell your younger self with
the experience you have now 10 years later? Do you
have any regrets from your fashion journey?
A: Well, I would probably tell myself that its going to be
harder than you think. But thats not very optmistc, so
I wouldnt have wanted to hear that. No regrets. You
live and you learn.
Q: What is your biggest setback/disappointment? And
how did you overcome it?
A: My biggest setback is money. Running your own
fashion business is very expensive and Im stll working
on it.
Q: Whats your go to outit? All tme favorite cloth-
ing item?
A: My favorite items from Spring 12 that Im wearing
all the tme this summer are the Heartless shorts and
Avalon Dress. I always love a good pair of black skin-
ny jeans, black bootes, and black leather motor jacket
with a silk Kahri top.
Q: Do you live by a favorite quote? If so, please share
it with us!
A: The Kahri moto is Be Rebellious! which means
wear what you want, do what you want, and dont be
afraid to be yourself.
By Nicole Nkisoy Sawyer
First Cut Dress by Kahri.
Fall 2012 Collection
Waitng in Vain
Jumpsuit by Kahri.
The Fall 2012 Collecton is ttled Sweet
Dreams. It is inspired by androgynous An-
nie Lenox and the Eurythmics and their song
Sweet Dreams, as well as Rosie the Riveter
and 1940s WWII era military style. The Pave-
ment Cracks Coat Dress is made of gray her-
ringbone wool with black leather collar and
shoulder details and feather trim at back storm
fap. Its double-breasted military chic with a
girly touch at the firty fared hem. The First
Cut dress is made with black silk velvet burn-
out in herringbone design panels and peplum
with a te-back neck band.
I asked the designer, Whats next for Kahri-
Anne? Whats your 5-year plan? She said,
Well, Im part of the Designer Entrepreneur
NYC program put on by FIT and Mayor Bloom-
bergs NYCEDC, which is a business series for
a select number of NYC designers. Im work-
ing on my business plan now and will hope-
fully get fnancing. I defnitely have big dreams
for Kahri. I would love to branch out and do
shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, kids, makeup, etc.
and have my own boutques across the world,
in the future.
Unstoppable KahriAnne, the sweet girl from
Iowa. Stay tuned.
Photography by Betania Sikora
Model is Olesia from APM Model Management
Hair & Makeup by Chad Michael Maxwell
Wardrobe Styling by Schimmy
Clothing by Kahri
Designer KahriAnne Kerr (lef)
with Model Olesia (right)
Waitng in Vain
Jumpsuit by Kahri.
A GI NGERBREAD BOY I N NAZI SPACE
MARS=VENUS
FLYBOY SHOOTS HI S L ADDER
SI STER NANCY S
Denim
On
Denim
Photography by Olena Shkoda
Fashion Direction by Sherah Jones
Models:
Souhela (MC2 Model Management)
Vladimir Gvozd
Hooded Denim Vest: Bufalo David Biton
Vintage Denim Overalls: Lee Jeans
Chambray denim shirt: Bufalo David Biton
S- Dinasty T-Shirt Dress: MUA MUA
Vintage Levis Jacket- Urban Renewal
V- Motorcycle Denim Jacket: Bufalo David Biton
Bowler Hat: Forever 21
Bow Tie: Stylists own
Navy Straight Leg Denim: Bufalo David Biton
Belt: Models own
Shoes: Vans
Vintage Bleached Flannel Shirt: Stylist's own
Black Skinny Jeans: Bufalo David Biton
Leather Collar: Handkerchief
Shoes: Vans
Leather Fringed Top: Sylvie Schimmel
Vintage Gold Earrings: Stylist's own
Blue Acid Wash Skinnys: Bufalo David Biton
Out
of the
Blue.
S- Flared White Denim: Bufalo David Biton
V- Wide Leg White Denim: Bufalo David Biton
6
Creatve
Ways
to Wear a
Necklace
For example, the most incredible transformatons can
start with just-one-necklace.
This mult-dimensional necklace exudes smart style
and ideas to make fall fashion simple. A single piece
of jewelry such as this playful, fun piece can create
endless looks at a low price and challenge your imagi-
naton and creatvity. Thats the beauty of imagina-
ton, a secret place where ones style and innovaton
are just waitng to be freed!
In todays economy, who has money to go out and
buy new items? Choosing a basic piece of jewelry
such as this beautful necklace eliminates the fuss
and saves on tme. How you choose to wear your ac-
cessories can truly inspire changing your entre ward-
robe. There are no rules in fashion; and in my mind,
anything goes!
Some of the most interestng
fashion details arent about
clothing at all.
By Nicole Nkisoy Sawyer
Photography by
Betania Sikora
Wardrobe Styling by
Schimmy
Hair & Makeup by
Chad Michael Maxwell
Model is
Ya from Agency Model Management
1
Take your style pick with this seasons new
accessory trends:
1. Wearing the necklace as a bold belt is a fun
way to shape and proporton your outit. This
look elongates the torso to make you look taller
and thinner AND does not limit your wearing
any other jewelry also! Add a bracelet or ear-
rings while wearing your necklace as a belt ac-
cessory.
2. Unclasp the necklace to open and wrap it
around your head, creatng a tribal headpiece
to frame your face. To adjust the length, loop
the chain between the appropriate open holes
untl you have reached the end of the necklace.
This look pulls the eye up and away from your
waist.
3. Wear the necklace closely around your neck
in an eye-catching choker style, good to wear
with wide-open necklines. You can add addi-
tonal necklaces as well for a unique layered
look.
4. Wrap the necklace around your wrist to
create a cascading chain bracelet. This look
is simply achieved by contnuously wrapping
the chain necklace around your wrist untl you
are able to clasp it closed. Then you can allow
some of the chains to loosely cascade down
your wrist.
5. Now, stretch the full length of the necklace
across your back one tme and drape it around
your shoulders, creatng an artsan shoulder
accessory. This showcases the details of the
necklace across your skin in an intricate web of
art.
6. Just wearing the necklace one tme around
the neck elongates the torso to make you look
taller and thinner. You can loop it around 2 to 3
more tmes to add texture on top.
Jewelry adds character to your wardrobe. It
tells a special story of who you are and even
where youve been. Today, fashions most
unique pieces are recognized as efortless fnds
from around the world, or perhaps an antque
item from a family member; they all tell a story
and thats a beautful thing!
Happy accessorizing!
2
All necklaces from
Fashion Director, Schimmys own collecton
All other jewelry by Caribbean Lilac
Photo 1,3,4,5,6 : Bathing suits by
Blynk Dominique Sade
Photo 1
Vest - Blynk by Dominique Sade
Photo 2
Dress by Ivana Helsinki
Photo 5
Skirt by Ivana Helsinki
Photo 6
Skirt - Blynk by Dominique Sade
3
4
5
6
2
Sleep No Mores frst awakening was back in 2003 in London. It was one of Punchdrunk The-
atres frst projects and now it has come back with a vengeance in New York. No stranger to
Shakespeare, the company had devised a producton of A Midsummer Nights Dream the
year before. Afer the frst producton of Sleep No More, which is inspired by Shakespeares
tale of revenge and lunacyMacbeththe company chose darker source material such as
Faust and Woyzec, which are classic pieces on the issues of mental illness, paranoia, and
corrupton of the soul. The term Punch Drunk itself stands for Dementa Pugilistca, a
mental disorder that is caused by concussions, usually in boxing. There is no aspect of this
productonset, lightng, performance, venue, directonthat doesnt skate on the rims of
dementa and frenzy.
Immersive theater is meant to dip the audience into a world that is started by the company
but only created and brought to life once the audience is involved. In order to accomplish
this feat, the audience must be physically and mentally detached from the outside world by
a seamless system of producton aspects. This cannot exist in a theater on Broadway or the
west end, it cannot exist on the streets. Felix Baret, the companys artstc director, liter-
ally creates Sleep No Mores world, transforming an abandoned property in Chelsea on 27
th

street into the fve-storied McKitrick Hotel. As one embarks on this adventure, all conven-
tons are in queston: What to wear? If it were Lincoln Center or Broadway, heels and a dress
would be in order, perhaps some jewelry. If street theater, comfortable shoes, sunglasses
and jeans would do. But what is this? The line in front of the hotel resembles a red-carpet
event, New Yorkers and tourists donning their evening wear, not knowing what to expect but
certain its an occasion to look good for. Ironically, afer drinks are served, you are forced to
wear a mask, thus erasing individual aesthetc; you are just a white plastc head amid a sea
of plastc heads, watching, observing. This makes for a stunning visual backdrop as white
masks frantcally scramble to fnd the next scene, turning the next corner in this vast dark
warehouse. As the journey contnues you become physically uncertain of your steps and
surroundings, questoning your mortality and safety. No ushers guide the way and no pro-
gram guides the tme. The most reassuring instructon utered is, If you feel overwhelming
discomfort, please direct yourself back to the bar on the frst foor. If you chicken out and
let the alienaton get to you, you will miss out on the whole experienceyou do not get to
eat your cake and have it too. A leap of faith has to be made into the Macbeth madness of
the McKitrick hotel.
Absinthe-flled futes in the hands of fshneted women are held out to the audience mem-
bers as they futer into the bar. This is the frst Dantean circleliquid courage for the weak
at heart. The confusion and excitement is tangible. Most of the gentry have no idea what to
expect but the one universal certainty is that it is bad-ass, a refreshing contrast to stufy the-
ater lobbies in which patrons sip espresso and discuss the cast. There is no learned, invisible
contract of pay, watch, intermission, turn of cell phones, applaud, leave.
Muscles twitch vicariously while watching the dancers perform in dangerous positons of
rickety ledges and amidst the masked crowd. You become enwrapped viscerally, never
checking the tmea consequence of more conventonal talking head type theater. For
by Jen Pit
A

Y
e
a
r

o
f

I
n
s
o
m
n
i
a
:

Celebrating
Sleep No Mores
One-Year Anniversary
in New York
a producton that has been up for over a year now, the
moves seem fresh and spontaneous, burstng with ex-
pression--the motf of greed and obsession constantly
appearing throughout as dancers frantcally scrub their
hands and bodies in asylum tubs, or throw themselves
repeatedly against walls.
However, if there is one point to Sleep No More, it is
choice and ownership over choice. The narratve is
based on Macbeth, but there are no concise fve acts
guiding you through. You choose where you go physi-
cally, every step maters, and that determines what you
see. The characters break from one another, forcing you
to choose whom to follow. As this occurs, white masks
stare blankly at one another searching for an answer,
or a popular majority, and end up scrambling trying to
catch up with one character or another, usually lead-
ing into another intriguing encounter. Depending on
heavily transmited visceral emoton and confusion, the
performance does not need to be experienced linearly.
Ofen you fnd yourself wandering solo into rooms re-
plete with immaculate set designdrawers that open
to expose real papers, book shelves stacked with actual
books. All these details subtly add to the story and the
world Baret creates.
The ending is the only defnite part (so I wont spoil it
here). You are lef wantng more, rejectng the noton
of leaving this high-stakes world for the muggy eve-
ning streets of Chelsea. Remember, though, every step
counts.
(l-r) Nicholas Bruder and Sophie
Bortolussi with audience members
Robin Roemer Photography
Esther Nef photo by Laura Bluher

Esther Neff
Panapoly Performance Lab
& documentary opera
talks
atching the operas of Panoply Performance
Lab is always an enlightening experience.
Their work forces the analytcal facultes
and the imaginaton to come alive in equal
measure. The result, in the authors experience,
may lead to some startling questons about how art,
learning, and music can be created and received.
For instance, why couldnt Devo be a free jazz band
that played educatonal songs a la Schoolhouse
Rock? What if critcal theory professors threw
strange objects at their pupils instead of putng
them to sleep? Or why shouldnt a scene like the
virgin sacrifce from Rite of Spring be performed
not as a ballet, but as an LSD-informed brawl?
The associatons vary from viewer to viewer, so deep
and unsetling are the style, content, and methods
of the group. Central to this largely collaboratve
collectve is Esther Nef, who has emerged as a kind
of insttuton in the Brooklyn arts community. She
is notable not only for her extraordinary work with
Panoply Performance Lab, but for her smaller-scale
work, which has the immediacy of PPLs operas,
and for an adventurous, risk-taking curatorial spirit
that has brought disparate artsts from a number
of felds to partcipate in various venues and
collaboratons. Throughout all of her endeavors
Esther has remained commited to nurturing a
community of artsts who desire independence
from the art establishment and share radical,
countercultural values. If you, dear reader, fnd
any of this appealing, and you wind up in Brooklyn,
chances are youll cross paths with Ms. Nef in no
tme.
JT: Howd you get into performance art? What are
the benefts of this art form over others?
EN: I studied theater directng in college in the
Midwest and got obsessed with Joseph Beuys,
both his performance work and his ideas of social
sculpture, also with Ranciere and his emancipa-
ton of the spectator and conceptons of sense
and so on. When I moved to NYC and started expe-
riencing much more performance art, experimen-
tal music and theater, I got more rigorous about
considering the acts of performance-making; get-
tng groups of people together for the event, prac-
tcing, groups working together in diferent ways,
individuals playing alone, speech/the voice, mem-
orizing (composer friends passing around Frances
Yates The Art of Memory), forms of public oraton,
language, ways of theorizingI started seeing as
much performance art as possible because it was
the context that framed my interests situatonally
and seemed to have the most awareness of itself.
In my mind, performance art as a discipline is more
aware of its situaton in terms of diferent relaton-
ships between artsts, audiences and partcipants,
use of objects and space, as well as performances
politcal and economic situatons as a medium within
social structures. I dont think performance art is its
own art form. It shares its situatons, concrete op-
eratons, and materials (hammers, drums, four, white
boxes, black boxes, seated and unseated spaces, pub-
lic spaces, musical notaton, vegetables, stretchy legs,
facial expressions) with performance at large, so per-
formance arts benefts for me become about how
I subjectvely experience it as a directly theoretcal
form. For me, its intentons involve performing in a
hyper-situatonal context, being a way of perceiving/
seeing while being conscious of those ways.
JT: It seems your group, Panoply Performance Lab, is
equal parts troupe and method. Could you explain
the workings of Panoply Performance Lab?
EN: PPL is a fexible collectve that forms around proj-
ects that we call documentary operas. These in-
volve diferent social situatons in process, including
public Focus Workshops for collectve theorizaton,
conferences, rehearsals, sets of short-form reactve
and site-specifc performances, partcipatory perfor-
mances, curated and non-curated exhibitons of per-
formance, and varying cast and team development
of material. At the core of almost all of these proj-
ects is an opera, which we then perform when ready.

We atempt to relate the form of each projects devel-
opment process to the theorizaton it practces/what
it is theorizing on. I think this could be called method-
izaton, but there is no mimetc single method from
project to project, only a vocabulary or way of fram-
ing performance (which is made evident by my way
of talking about it here) and this act of relatng. We
are into absurdly formal atempts and the absurdity
of formal atempts.
Right now [07/16/2012], a more regular PPL team
exists because weve been performing the NATURE
FETISH opera. The project overall has been going
on for a long tme; the public components, includ-
ing Focus Workshops, individual performances,
etc., started in October 2011. The performance
team is Jessica Bathurst, Arla Berman, Mathew
Gant, Kate Johnston, Natasha Missick, Brian Mc-
Corkle, me, Michael Newton, Ellen OMeara, and
Dave Ruder. Cory Bracken and Devlin Goldberg have
also performed in the opera, and other partcipants
are numerous. 20+ artsts are also part of the per-
formance exhibiton, performing their own work.
By John Thomas
W

Esther Neff
Panapoly Performance Lab
& documentary opera
Brian McCorkle and I also perform shorter-form perfor-
mance art pieces under the collectves name, and others
sometmes join us for these, like the 4-hour performance
PPL Help the Water that we did along the Gowanus Ca-
nal earlier in July. Most fundamentally, it seems PPL is
formed around the act of theorizing-as-performance-
making.
JT: Do you think the collectve and aleatoric techniques
that youve employed to compose your work have a po-
litcal basis?
EN: Yes, if one defnes politcs as structuring of the
authority of certain individuals and groups to construct
and disseminate reality. Collectve and aleatoric modes
also structure authority; they can serve to de-hierarchize
or hierarchize, disseminate, practce, and/or etc. PPLs
performances are not trying to simply disrupt existng
power structures, we are practcing diferent sociopolit-
cal situatons, structures, and ways of being and seeing.

JT: Theater and performance art have always had a ten-
uous, yet symbiotc relatonship with one another. How
do you locate your work within this divide?
EN: This relates to the frst queston. The rhetoric goes
that performance art as a discipline evolved from the
need to make post-product art, something that couldnt
be valued within existng industrialized economic sche-
mas; unrepeatable/situatonal, authorized by a margin-
alized subject, ephemeral, emergent, while traditonal
theater tended to pose itself as a mirror to a universal
reality, a way of capturing or commodifying a shared hu-
man experience or event, a saran-wrapped slice-of-life
pie with a recipe that can be followed again and again
(reinforcement of this paradigm is called dramaturgy).
Right now, the theater industry contnues to see and
use theater solely as a dramaturgical form, even though
there are so many other ways of theatricalizing. The
word theater is ruined by the theater industry even
though its really useful as it shares the root the- (see-
ing) with the-ory (ways of seeing). I use the word the-
ater simply to mean way of seeing while being some-
where or site of sight. Due to all this semantc surgery,
I guess my locaton is the same as the Fools on the Rider
Waite tarot card, perpetually poised to fall right over the
clif into the divide.
JT: Your operas stage works in a lot of diferent me-
diums as a total, immersive compositon. How do you
trace your work to the more or less Contnental tradi-
ton of opera? Do you fnd yourself feeling more like P.T.
Barnum or Richard Wagner most of the tme?
EN: In my wildest and most presumptuous imaginaton
it goes: Wagner>Brecht>Robert Ashley>PPL. Music is at
the core of what we do. While its diferent modes of im-
provisaton, notaton, and so on have diferent operatons
and can also theorize, a lot of the music Brian through-
writes and develops with performers tends to also be
MUSIC, replete with ear-worming melodies and complex
harmonies. Circus is interestng too; the populism of it is
desirable and preferable to the elitsm of grand opera
Id rather be Jennifer Miller than P.T. Barnum though.
JT: You mentoned your newest opera, Nature Fetsh.
What is it about? How have the performances gone?
EN: NATURE FETISH: A Public Opera performs clusters
of theories about the nature of nature. These theories
were identfed, alluded to, imagined, invented, aligned,
associated, impressed, elected, organized, and so on
throughout the process, from the early Focus Workshops
with the general public at University Setlement on. At
University Setlement, the piece ended up as a kind of
musical for children; in Berlin, the fragments and frame-
works got more sexual and violent. At Grace Exhibiton
Space we performed it the frst night as we had at U
Setlement and it seemed like an experimental theater
piece from the 1960s. We had to move some of it out
onto Broadway (in Bushwick/Bed-Stuy) and perform in
concert with the J/M/Z.
JT: You recently acquired a new space in South Wil-
liamsburg. What are your plans for it?
EN: PPL organizes and curates experimental/conceptual
tme-based performance across disciplines, ofen with
an emphasis on social arts practces and partcipatory
forms. We also make huge messes and a lot of noise, and
we build things. We plan on using this space for these
endeavors. There is certain work being done that real-
ly excites us and we want to support these artsts and
groups in any way we can. Right now, Chloe Bass is hold-
ing one-on-one consultatons as part of her Bureau of
Self-Recogniton here through August 3rd. In August, we
will be startng a performance art open-mic MCed by
Mathew Silver and we are currently hostng a meetng
every Sunday at 11am to organize and curate non-com-
pettvely as artsts, discuss work, and share resources.
The space is also home to Valerie Kuehne, who does a
lot of incredible music curaton under the banner The
Super Coda. We also take proposals at any tme; any-
one can email us with an idea at panoplylab@gmail.com.

JT: The natonal DIY underground has exploded since
the 80s, when it was mostly related to hardcore and
only occasionally art. Now there are venues catering to
music of all types as well as there being art galleries,
printmaking workshops, food cooperatves, even yoga
studios that could all fall under the DIY banner. Do you
feel a part of this cultural milieu? Do you feel any rela-
ton to the other progenitors of DIY that focus more on
music, be it pop or noise, and more traditonal visual
art?
EN: I was born in 1984 in Indiana so Im not sure about the history of the DIY movementthe story I hear most ofen
goes that the DIY movement was catalyzed by Reagans inital cuts to the NEA and a turn against public culture, etc.,
but its been a strong ideological/aesthetc directon for a good long while. Jerzy Grotowski/Ludwik Flaszen wrote
Towards a Poor Theater in 1968Im not sure that hardcore was the source of the DIY underground, but maybe our
diference in perspectve on this proves that theres really no such thing as a single DIY underground and that human
beings simultaneously construct and are constructed by their politcal, economic, epistemic, and private situatons
so right now those of us who live in the same place and tme and have $0 + access to lots of trash are having some
similar experiences right now, and some diferent ones, like always. PPL exists in relatonships with some identf-
able aesthetc and practcal communites; these clumps of individuals, spaces, events, and practces involve cycles of
infuence, concrete mutual support, interpersonal conficts, dialectcal constructon, and various forms of collabora-
ton. There are certain habits, aesthetcs, and traditons that come out of consistent social contact and certain reali-
tes that result in aesthetc similarites between groups and individuals.
Esther Nef and Brian McCorkle per-
forming BABY BABY BABY at ACUDs
Serendipity Gallery (a performance
with Anya Lifig as part of MPA-B,
2012). Photo by Glen Stoker.
ABOVE: Esther Nef in PPL Help the
Water, a 4-hour duratonal performance
with Brian McCorkle, Jessica Bathurst,
and Michael Newton, Gowanus Ball-
room/Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn (2012)
Photo by Geraldo Mercado
LEFT: Esther Nef performs solo piece
Onionono at Grace Exhibiton Space,
Brooklyn (2011) Photo by Anya Lifig
NEXT PAGE - top right: Esther Nef and
Brian McCorkle performing Birdhouse
Home Craf Project for Fathers and
Daughters #1 at IV Soldiers Gallery,
Brooklyn, 2012. Stll from video docu-
mentaton.
NEXT PAGE - botom right: Esther Nef
performing NATURE FETISH: Anima/Ani-
mus at KuLe Theatre in Berlin, 2012. Stll
from video documentaton.
JT: Whats the diference between aesthetc and
cool?
EN: People seem to be using the word aesthetc
to mean interestng looking, which is weird. I was
under the impression that aesthetcs is a philosophi-
cal traditon dealing with what gives humans (or an-
imalsId like to read a good book on that) sensory
pleasure. I guess if something gives you sensory plea-
sure it is cool, like stepping on a stck of buter is
prety aesthetcally satsfying and might also be cool
in the right context
JT: Your work is ofen underscored by concepts being
tossed around contemporary academic circles. How
do you view your work in relaton to academia? How
do you view performance arts relatonship to aca-
demia?
EN: Not all critcal analysis is academic; academia is
a network of insttutons involved in the higher edu-
caton and publishing industries. Luckily, academia
doesnt have a monopoly on the practces of intel-
lectual inquiry, only on buying and selling intellectu-
als and their ideas. The structures of academia main-
tain themselves much like those of the art world do,
relying on complex and ofen associatve schemas of
value and legitmacy.
In terms of performance art, academia ofen serves
to economically value performance art by just-
fying/explaining/interpretng it. In terms of con-
cepts that interest intellectuals, what other con-
cepts are there? Many intellectuals have never
been to college, let alone graduate school, but I
wouldnt ignore the powerful ideas of philosophy
professors either. Also, the idea of underscoring
concepts would sum up PPL at our absolute worst.
JT: What projects can we expect from you in the fu-
ture?
EN: Brian McCorkle, Lindsey Drury and I have started
working on a project called Me Schemes for next year,
we are just beginning that. Lindsey and I are also going
on tour with Run Litle Girl, a dance/social arts project
that had its frst performances at the Merce Cun-
ningham Studio in February, frst to Salt Lake City. I
am also working with Yelena Gluzman (Science Proj-
ect) to realize a duratonal conference supported by
Culture Push throughout the year; we are currently
acceptng proposals (www.theatreastheory.word-
press.com for the Open Call). I am also working on
solo performances and duo performance art pieces
with Brian McCorkle, organizing exhibitons, and so
on. I am also working with Ivy Castellanos (IV Sol-
diers Gallery) and other performance artsts on a
project called iCan, collectng cans for the deposit
and doing a series of performances in them as they
accumulate over the next couple months. However,
the top priority project is always keeping the rats
and bedbugs at bay.
nce a 1980s cult sensaton, Cleopatrick is stll
an East Village icon. (Known for not divulging
personal details, including his or her gender,
for brevitys sake I will refer to CP as she.)
I found her sipping a cappuccino with white-gloved
hands at a neighborhood caf, sinewy and a head taller
than me. She looked a bit like a fantastc snake, wearing
an elegant leather black and white dress and matching
feathered hat, with just a slash of red lipstck. I gingerly
approached. She nodded regally and motoned to the
other chair for me to sit. We introduced ourselves and
she agreed to answer a few minutes of questons as
long as I wrote and recorded nothing. Her voice was a
breathy hiss. What follows is the conversaton as I re-
member it.
Is it true youve retred?
Well technically an artst never retres. As Lennon and
Ono famously said, life is art and art is life. Merge and
fow, merge and fow.
May I ask what is your philosophy?
Tabula rasablank page, write, erase. I dont believe
in posterity or fame. In more fexible days one created,
destroyed, then started again. Now people brag about
their creatons, like toddlers on a poty.
Why the name Cleopatrick?
That is for the imaginaton to conjure.
Where are you from?
Born in the Bronx, formed in the Lower East Side. New
Yorkers get short shrif, you know. What some see as
rudeness or impatence is mere awareness. Ive trav-
eled the world and New Yorkers are the kindest, funni-
est people youll fnd anywhere. I love to surprise them.
I used to make nude sketches of passersby and give
them away. I wrote limericks and gave them to suits. I
never hold onto anything or it loses its freshness, like a
fruit. The moment is the juice, so to speak.
If you dont sell your work how do you make a living?
Youd be surprised how people want to give you money
when you dont ask for it.
What are some of the things you have been known
for?
I have gone through phases, many immature [brief
smile]. I resprayed billboard ad copy while the city
sleptah, the liberaton of those hours. I videoed int-
mate conversatons and cut them with jazzy rifs. These
were very popular at 2B and other clubs. When I felt I
had become too derivatve I became interactve.
Meaning?
I like to play! Perfect example, those kids at Astor Place
with their clipboards of politcally correct causes. I set
myself up right between number 1 and number 2,
decked out in my fnest, pleading loudly: Save the
Gay Seals! It wasnt hard to steal their limelight.
[smiles] I got down with the dirty white kids sprawled
under my neighborhood scafoldings. I learned what
Id suspected all along: 8 out of 10 come from rich
homes, plagued with anger and guilt. Theyre not bad
kids, just dreadfully unoriginal. As for the truly disen-
franchised, I hand out wipes and snacks and talk to
them. Some of them could have been geniuses but
theyre too damn vulnerable.
Any civic protests?
The politcal is personal, cest vrai? I covered all the
Metrocard machines at the select service bus stops
up and down Second Avenue with canvas bags read-
ing across: Evoluton ends here, Free rides for the
angry, acronyms for the MTA, Most Tyrannical Ass-
holes, etc. I tried to stop the spread of Starbucks by
handing out paper cups reading Fuck Starbucks or
Break the Chains under a lewd mermaid. I dressed
in velvet, sequins and sunglasses during subway rush
hour. I cried that I was kidnapped by aliens and need-
ed airfare to get back to Hollywood. Youd be surprised
at the efect of glamour on the common purse. Then I
found real panhandlers and distributed the cash.
Do you think its tme to leave New York?
Were a safer city than most in America. And I mean
from natural and man-made disasters. Tornadoes,
hurricanes, tsunamis, forest fres? Not here. At most
a mini-earthquake makes our tooshies vibrate. As far
as crime, sure we have our pickpockets, our muggers,
our rapists, even our serial killers. And the last thing
Id do is downplay 9/11, which permanently shat-
tered our macho veneer. But theres something about
a lone crazed killer shootng up a school, a restaurant,
or a theater, thats very un-New York. Not to tempt
fate, but I like to think that the pace and awareness of
the city contains the average psychopath. Its difcult
to carry out a vendeta where nothing is assumed, no-
body is trusted, and nothing stays stll.
Thank you, Cleopatrick. It was a pleasure talking
with you.
The pleasures all mine [putng out a gloved hand to
clasp].
Cleopatrick, Performance Artist
By Marilyn Recht
O
ART +
FASHI ON +
L I FE
CREATI VE SUGAR MAGAZI NE
SEEKI NG WRI TERS + PHOTOGRAPHERS
I NFO@CREATI VE- SUGAR. NET
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETANI A SI KORA
HAI R & MAKEUP BY TE$$ MONEY KI M
COL L ARD SHI RTS COMMUNE
SCARF LUI SA BRI NI
ORACL E BI NG BANG J EWEL RY
RI NGS FSMNYC J EWEL RY
Jermaine Fowler:
One of TVs Funniest New Faces
by Kenrick iLikeZach Cabey
Whats that ofcer? Oh yeah, the car hopped the curb and hit her,
yeah. Howd I survive? Oh, I had on Nikes, she had on high heels. You
cant dodge a car in pumps.
Jermaine Fowler, Stand-Up Performance at Comic Strip Live
Dafy Duck?! Seriously? I ask Jermaine Fowler about his artstc infu-
ences and he mentons Dafy Duck? Where do I go from here? Assess
the situaton. I know that people want to understand this guy. They
want to like him. Hell, they already do. Hes been cast in a brand-new
remake of In Living Color. The original version was my favorite televi-
sion show as a kid. His new web series is pushing the boundaries of
sexuality and race at a seamlessly intelligent and hilarious level. Its
obvious that this guy knows his craf well. With that said, how do I
reckon with the fact that beside great names like Eddie Murphy and
Tim Burton, the comedic mind of Jermaine Fowler is being brought
to you in part by a spit-slurring cartoon talking bird? I choose my next
moves wisely.
I breathe. I stretch. I shake. I sip from my energy drink stash. I stare at
my notes for an angsty minute or two. And then I perform the simple
acton necessary to open up my understanding of this man and his
special power. I lean back in my chair. I swivel a bit. And eventually, I
laugh.
I laugh out loud. I laugh at the Duck thing, at myself for worrying
about it in the frst place. I laugh at the fact that taking a peek into
any creatve mind is an adventure, but when one makes the decision
to foray into the mind of a comic, one must always remember the
magic rule. The point is to laugh. Nothing more. No mater how mind-
tangling the artsts work might be or how many quirky horizons the
artst may force you to cross. To understand Jermaine Fowler, all you
have to do is laugh.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETANI A SI KORA
HAI R & MAKEUP BY TE$$ MONEY KI M
PANTS DANI EL PAL I L LO
SWEATSHI RT DANI EL PAL I L LO
SWEATER COMMUNE
NECKL ACES BI NG BANG J EWEL RY
Besides the aforementoned, Jermaine Fowler seems to come from a
place with no rules at all. He turns the classic tale (a 20-year old kid
from D.C moves to New York to make his way) on its ear, by actually
becoming a success in the process. In the three years between then
and now, Jermaine has raked in accolades, from the Silver Nail Award
at Aspens Roofop Comedy Festval to a spot in the New York Posts 50
Funniest Jokes. Just recently, Jermaine made his way into Montreals
Just for Laughs Festval under the events New Faces banner. Now
we fnd Jermaine here, at the kind of evolutonary moment American
comedians dream about. Hes been selected to work as a cast member
on a natonally televised sketch comedy show.
In Living Color reminds us of an amazing tme in Black television his-
torywhen brothers Damon and Keenan Ivory Wayans were carving
out their thrones as entertainment royalty. Jim Carrey took a chance
with his Fire Marshall Bill character and it launched his career. A young
and already dangerous Chris Rock coined the phrase Good lord, thats
a lot of money! by way of Cheap Pete while speaking for a generaton
chafng at the all-too-slow trickle-down efect of Reaganomics. And just
before the commercial break, audiences watching at home got to meet
a Fly Girl named Jennifer Lopez, who always had a special something
about her that made her shine among the other dancers under the bril-
liant choreography of Rosie Perez.
The mere fact that the show has been remade is amazing news for us,
the viewers. We cant wait to see what this new show will be like, what
new stars might be born here. But for those talented few individuals se-
lected to form the cast of the new show, some pressure might emerge.
What plan of atack might be needed for such a grand opportunity?
Where will the motvaton come from? Fowler didnt seem bothered
too much.
iLikeZach: What made you want to get involved with In Living Color at
this stage?
Jermaine Fowler: Keenan Ivory Wayans told me hed let my family go
if Id join the cast.
iLZ: As an artst, what are you atemptng to do with comedy as it exists
now?
JF: Im not trying to do anything with comedy per se. But I do know
what Im doing is diferent and fresh.
iLZ: Whats it like to be a comedic actor in front of the camera compared
to being a hilarious comic on stage?
JF: The only diference is that on-camera there are so many technical
aspects to consider while delivering a joke. The best part is that you
can do take afer take then choose the best. But in stand-up, you only
have that one moment.
J ACKET TRI PP NYC
SWEATER RODEBJ ER
NECKL ACE BI NG BANG J EWEL RY
HAT VI NTAGE
iLZ: Jermaine, where do jokes come from?
JF: My jokes come from personal experiences growing up and non
sequitur ideas I have plaguing my thoughts. But mostly my jokes
come from Africa.
Of course, as illustrious as it is, this television show is not the only
thing Jermaine has cooking right now. Hes been airing episodes of a
web series he created with Kevin Barnet called Homo Thugs. So far
the show chronicles the picaresque adventures of two gang bangers
who cant seem to set the record straight about their sexuality. The
show speaks heavily to the warped hood ethics concerning displays
of homosexual tendencies and gay-on-the-down-low motfs. Fowlers
character, with a naked behind protruding from sagging jeans, and
a comfortable willingness to perform simulated fellato on a gun in
episode 2, brings a lot of complexity to the table in terms of what
comedy, especially black comedy, is ready for.
iLZ: The Hufngton Post is talking about homo thugs in the same
breath as President Obamas support of homosexual marriage rights
and Frank Oceans coming out of the closet. How comfortable are
you with your comedic work playing an actve role in the Black Gay
Movement?
JF: I believe, Homo Thugs doesnt just play an actve role in the
Black Gay community. Homo Thugs is more than just for Black
People or just for Gay People. Its for everybody to enjoy. I just hope
the series also plays a role in the progression of entertainment.
iLZ: What do you seek to destroy?
JF: Stereotypes and smallpox.
iLZ: What do you seek to build?
JF: An academy where mutants can learn how to hone their skills
and functon in society.
Jermaine has his work cut out for him. Hes a new young voice with a
great big platorm. Hes proud of who he is, so much so that he shares
that identty with his audience regularly on the stand-up comedy cir-
cuit. Hes willing to put himself out there for beter or worse. Hes
sometmes misunderstood but if you look close enough, its always
clear that his eforts come from an honest place. Hmm, I think I get
it now.
iLZ: Who are some of your artstc infuences?
JF: Tim Burton, Eddie Murphy, Nickelodeon Cartoons, and Dafy
Duck.
With Jermaine Fowler in the game, I think well all be laughing for a
while yet.
Charisse Mills:
Pop Opera Diva
t was a regular acton packed day for me,
weaving my 18-foot, 88 Cadillac in and out
of trafc on my way to the M1-5 lounge
of 52 Walker St, NY, NY, hostng the RAW
artsts event for June 2012. If youre un-
aware, the RAW organizaton gathers a
group of artsts of varying disciplines to
come together for one night to put on a
show, whether it be paintng, photogra-
phy, dance, fashion, whatever. The main
stpulaton is that all the artsts must be emerging.
We arrived at the party on tme and it was really hap-
pening. About two hours into the show the host of the
evening announced, And here is the next RAW artst,
Charisse Mills. The seemingly casual, scatered crowd
immediately came to full alert and fooded the stage like
this was the last show on earth before the Apocalypse. It
might well have been. She entered the stage, full fgured
like Marilyn Monroe, eyes gleaming, well dressed, wavy
golden hair of a goddess, with an aura of confdence that
is rare and precious.
With enthusiasm, fully in the moment, she yelled out to
the audience.
Give me your full atenton!
She demanded it and we said yes. She danced and sang
with so much soul, so much passion, so much sexual-
ity, play and drama. The music had a very strong driving
backbone with beats of contemporary hip-hop and well
fowing rhythms. The singing is of contemporary dance
infused with opera. To this Charisse danced as much as
she acted out her words in contemporary pop fashion.
She was accompanied by two men one on each side ex-
ecutng choreography to play of of each others stage
drama.
What drives this artst? This is not only an amazing per-
former but also a truly intelligent dedicated artst with
a history that runs deep. So I took the tme to interview
her. Here is her story.
E. Charisse, please describe your music.
C. I am a pop opera singer who is classically trained.
I have been working in the classical feld for 9 years. I
think it is important to bring this art form to the fore-
front of contemporary culture because the youth are
unaware of it. I want them to fall in love with it the way
I fell in love with it. Its about going back to the roots
where music was made.
E. Where are you from?
C. I am from Trinidad and Tobago. Music is a very im-
portant part of our culture. It was never classical though
and that is what I want to share with not just my Carib-
bean people but people as a whole. It is so much more
than pop, rap, hip hop, soul, R&B, and Soca.
E. When did you start studying music?
C. I started very late, at 16. One day it just hit me. I was
in my High School choir class and started singing along
to a coloratura classical song on my teacher Steven Ka-
I
By Ethan Boi svert
Charisse Mills:
Pop Opera Diva
plans boom box. He was shocked. He asked me if I ever
had classical training. I said no. He then said, I want
to introduce you to a friend of mine, Anita Darien. Al-
though not taking on any more students, Anita took me
on for a lesson and looked at my choir teacher and said
to me, I want to train you. As a single parent, mother
of three, I sadly said, Im afraid I wont be able to aford
it. She ofered to train me for one dollar, out of princi-
ple. Not only was she teaching me how to sing, she was
teaching me morals and principles. So my teacher Mr.
Kaplan drove me everyday to lessons. It was a godsend.
Ever since then it was history. I did everything I could. I
was studying books, singing here and there with Mayor
Giuliani, president Clinton, and the list goes on. I was set
on catching up with ten years of work as fast as possible
in any way I could to get accepted into music school for
college. I was that passionate.
E. So where did you study afer that?
C. I auditoned and was accepted to many but I chose
the Manhatan School of Music. I chose it because of
Hilda Harris, who was teaching there. Not only are there
very few performers who teach classical music but she
is one of the best. She is African American, something
I really embrace, being a minority myself. When I audi-
toned I decided to sing one of my selectons in Russian
because it is not so common. Hilda immediately was in-
terested and wanted to teach me. Hilda was the perfect
ft because she makes singers fourish.
E. What did you learn there and what do you want to
bring to the table?
C. In school we learned all the important things about
music, how to compose, sight-reading music, history,
etc. We studied all the great composers and had to pick
up an instrument as well; mine was piano. It was all
about the music. Im fnding more and more these days
that music is all too much about the lyrics. But the true
emoton is in the music. This is what I learned and its
important not only to my culture but for everyone to
know.
E. Who are your favorite classical composers and mu-
sicians?
C. My number one favorite composer is Rachmaninof.
I dont like anything that is easy. It took me a litle lon-
ger to master his pieces, but once you do its like magic.
The next of course is Handel because of his love songs.
The next is Gershwin because he is fun and melodic.
Of course lets not forget Mozart in Hallelujah..ah, ah
ah ah, laaaaaaall over the place. He just loved to play
with the notes. As far as artsts go I didnt focus as much
on that because I have no intent on mimicking them. I
learned to sight read so I was able to develop it on my
own, which is why I am so grateful for music school.
E. Now I want to deal with your contemporaries in pop.
We have Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and of course
Madonna. I think producton is so vital to a song and I
am very perplexed in hearing so many songs overpro-
duced. I am wondering what your thoughts are on this.
C. Producton is so important. It can make you or break
you. It is so important to have a strong producton team
that understands your music. Some people have a natural
gif but they really should go through music school.
E. So why are there musicians with so much money com-
ing into a world of bad producton?
C. They dont always have a say and sometmes they have
not gone through schooling themselves and simply dont
know beter.
E. So you exert a strong directve force on the producton?
C. Absolutely. There is no mediocre. My dream is to work
with Star Gate, which is a great producton team. They do a
lot of records for Rihanna, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, all the hits.
E. So Star Gate is a producton company. But is there any
partcular producer you would like to work with?
C. Well, its not just about the producer, its the engineer,
the writer. The producer is just one element. Every person
is a part that counts. A lot of work from everyone goes into
this. Then when it is all done it has to be mastered.
E. What do you think about sex in music? We look at Lady
Gaga who has sold herself on shock value.
C. Absolutely and this is a great example. What background
does Gaga have? She was classically trained. When you
have training behind you, you understand what you are
putng out. Its not just about the singing, its everything
altogether, and thats why she is so successful.
However we cant forget that sex does sell. We should be
happy with ourselves and be natural. But it all comes down
to being who you are, like Adam and Eve. Then get back to
the voice and the music.
E. I see you have some other things in the works.
C. Yes, CM is a brand and I want everyone to know that I
have a fashion line as well.
E. Where did this come from?
C. I have always been interested in fashion. My mother got
me into it at a very young age, custom designing every-
thing I wore right down to infant clothes. To this day I bring
that original aspect to my performance and fnd it very im-
portant.
E. We are coming to a close so do you have any more
thoughts to share with the audience?
C. Always look at the negatve and fnd the positve. I like to
be bold and daring yet pray every night for discipline and
contnuity. Its very hard to be an artst and extremely hard
to be a woman at that.
E. What new things do you have upcoming, shows,
albums, etc.?
C. I have a show on August 26th at Santos Party House in
NYC. I would like to have an album out by next year. I am
currently looking for investors and labels. Im going to do
this right. I have a lot of new things in the works. You can
be up to date with what I am doing by visitng my web-
site www.CharisseMills.com and following me on Twiter
@CharisseMills
E. So before we go I have to ask the queston: out of all
we talked about, music, culture, training, what inspires
you most?
C. Life inspires me, and it is the desire to be happy and
living a fulflling life that inspires me most.
Al l Photos of Chari sse Mi l l s by
Ethan Boi svert
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