Can you give me some info on the upcoming Bridgeport All-Stars Show?
Well it is going to take place on Friday, April 21rst at the Co-Prosperity Sphere at 3219 S. Morgan at 6-10 .It will feature artists from the South Side that have lived in Bridgeport or have studios there. The 25 artists have used diverse media such as sculpture, photography, and painting. See http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/events/bridgeport-all-stars.
Who will be featured in the show?
Well Michael Hernandez De Luna (many know him for his stamp work) will be doing some fine graffiti and street art type stuff. See http://www.carlhammergallery.com/artists/michael-hernandez-de-luna.
Steve Badauskas will provide some incredible pen and ink work. He is the proprietor of Bernice’s Tavern. See https://www.timeout.com/chicago/bars/bernices-tavern.
My brother, Allan Pocius has done some striking digital photos. See http://southsideweekly.com/glitter-paint-and-a-whole-lot-of-cardboard/#more-1074
Linda Duk L. Kim did some work that is very abstract but if you look close, you can see some representational and figurative elements. See http://dukjulkim.weebly.com/paintings.html . John Salhus’s work will be more naturalistic and large scale. See https://prezi.com/bdr7qufnoo2t/john-salhus/.
Carl Virgo has a studio at the Zhou Brothers where you can see his work in 301 on the third floor every third Friday, and he does large-scale abstracts. Some of his pieces look like ectoplasm on canvas. See http://www.zhoubartcenter.com/artists.html.
Ed Marszewski is the catalyst for the show. He makes beer, runs a brewery and runs a kind of hipster high school that gives young artists experience. He also puts out Lumpen Times. His project for the show is top secret but his work usually tends to be very political. See http://www.lumpen.com/CPS/about.html.
Can you tell me more about Steve? I am not sure I have seen his work.
The Russian Revolution and the Zap Comics artist, Robert Crumb, influenced Steve. He often works with materials he finds in the alley including plasterboard and paint found in garbage cans.
(Other artists included in the show include Zore. See http://www.mariogonzalezjr.com/press.html, Cloe Lewis, Steve Stankowcz, Sean Mac, industry of the ordinary see http://www.industryoftheordinary.com/ , Qigy Jiang. see http://www.saic.edu/profiles/faculty/qigujiang/ , Maren Celest see http://marencelest.com/, Rahmaan Statik see http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/artist-stories/rahmaan-statik, and Ceser Conde, see http://cesarcondeart.com/home.html).
Can you discuss your own work for the show?
I have digital photos from an exciting protest/women’s march. Protesters carried signs that said things like Resist 2017 and this is What Democracy Looks Like.
Speaking of the anti-Trump protests, can I ask what you think of the current administration?
I became very worried after Trump’s response to the nerve gas attack. He has one hand on the phone and one on the nuclear code command. I hope he does not get them mixed up.
How did you start out as an artist?
I was living here in Bridgeport in the 60s and 70s and it was completely blue collar. There were no artists, galleries or art studios. If you said, you were an artist people called you a faggot to your face. It was not considered a respectable profession at all. Then I went to Richard J. Daley College. I took some photography and film classes, and I took a great liking to them. I started making money doing event photography and wedding shoots.
Did you have any artistic mentors?
Tom Pallazzolo was a great inspiration. He gave me good advice and encouraged me to get more into film and photography. He made incredible movies. He was able to capture different ethnic, social and ethnic aspects of Chicago in his films. He was also very prolific. See http://palazzolo-art.com/tom_palazzolo_films.
I saw his works at the Ed Pasche Museum last year. They showed his film about the unveiling of the Picasso. Have you seem that one?
Oh yeah. He helped get me into the arts. Money is good but you have to be fulfilled too.
Can you discuss your home turf, Bridgeport and its art scene?
Well before Pilsen became cool or trendy and it became the new Wicker Park, there was a ton of indigenous street artists. Many of them were weekend painters with other jobs. Then when the rents went up they all got pushed out. Bridgeport is still cheap. and there is an abundance of warehouse space available , so many artists moved here.
You were involved in the early Chicago punk scene. Can you tell me about the Cunts?
Well there was a mock tribute show at Chicago Film makers Center for the Arts near Hubbard and State for Major Daley. Many of us had a love/hate relationship with him, and he is famous for saying he wanted to preserve the disorder here, which he did. We formed a band called Quick Release, which included Al Pocius, Tony Z and Frank Broadlow. The audience did not understand punk; we were attacked while we were playing. I got into a real fight, and the audience thought it was part of the show. The cunts came out of that.
What attracted you to punk rock?
I identified with punk because it was not about what was considered correct. When I was in grade school, I always was sent to the hall because the disapproved of what I did. I chose the name because all men are cunts. We wanted to see how far we could go. After that some of us, Mike Flem, Ed Scum (Al Pocius), Frank Broadlow formed the cunts. We did not play out much but we performed at some local bars and lofts.
(According to the punk database the complete member listing is Mike Pocius on vocals, Joe Pocius, Al Scum./Allan Pocius on drums, Mickey Crnich on guitar, Jocko aka Frank Brodlo, Fred Kotowske on Farfisa Organ, Chris Kirkendall on Bass, Al Lerner on guitar, Rick Gallo on keyboards, Fred Kotowske on keyboards, Ken Goodman, Jel?, Michael Hernandez de Luna, Ivan Stankowicz, Killian Sweeney and Vyto B.)
What were your influences?
Well I saw the Ramones in New York at Hurrah and CBGBs in the mid-seventies, and I thought they were very modern and innovative. I loved that DYI/do it yourself aspect of their music and the anything goes even if we have minimal talent attitude of punk. We wanted to push boundaries and get close the edge of what was unacceptable.
Did you ever see the New York Dolls? I was just listening to Johnny Thunders on the way here.
I saw Thunders solo at a club near CODs around Devone and Sheridan. He was so out of it that he could not play and I had to leave. I saw him at Club Irving too. He was just too stoned to play much of the time.
In closing, can you tell me about the cardboard show?
My brother, Allan, started it. Everything had to be on cardboard, and people mailed in submissions from all over the country. It started around 2002. Allan got fed up with doing it, and I eventually took it over. I have had the show at different places like Project Onward in the Bridgeport Art Center and the Urban Arts Society. I love the idea of reusable art. Most of the pieces go for under 100 dollars and the artists get money from the sales. The next one will be held on October 6 at 6-10 at the Co-Prosperity Sphere at 3219-21 S Morgan St. The phone number is (773) 837-0145.
Why did it go from a national mail in exhibit to a more localized one?
Well there is such a wealth of talent here so we found we could have a great show using just local people. I like having people presenting art from all levels of experience. It encourages people to overcome their inhibitions and mental blocks and just do it.
Here is an informative article about the cardboard show. http://southsideweekly.com/glitter-paint-and-a-whole-lot-of-cardboard/#more-1074
Here is an eloquent homage that Mike wrote about his recently deceased mom. http://southsideweekly.com/author/mike-pocius/.
