Josh Mannis & The psychedelic influence

There is a definite psychedelic/ 1970's National Geographic quality about your work, would you say that is what your stuff is about (psychadelia) or does it go beyond that? What kinds of influences come through in your work?

Psychedelic art was a huge pushing off point for me, although I'm hoping history will show these cultural references as bits of evidence being deployed in a much larger argument. In a broader sense, my big project is about ways in which an image can get over on and manipulate its beholder - in both the making and the viewing of a piece. The reverse is an image that grants permission, or seems to address a viewer as an equal, or as a partner in the process of generating the meaning of the piece. I guess these are also political ideas, in the sense that they are about how an artwork, through these modes of address, generates and determines the nature of a social space inhabited by artist - piece - viewer(s), and I think it gets at what we want out of an image in the first place. Drug culture, rock culture, art culture, political culture, and etc., are all metaphors I've used in the past, to act inside of, with the aim of theatricalizing these larger themes of the overbearing image, the permissive image, the fascist image, the leftist image, etc.

FULL INTERVIEW HERE

Kaleidoscope

Black Angels [and Death Song]

Also heavily influenced by the 13th Floor Elevators and the psychedelic ethos, The Black Angels (named after the Velvet Underground song - 'Black Angels Death Song') are a band emerging from a small scene in Austin, Texas. Mostly known through word of mouth and internet corridoors they are creating a devoted following amongst the festival scene. Singles such as 'Black Grease' and 'Empire' display their ability to blast face-melting riffs where as tracks such as 'Manipulation' and 'You On The Run' excrete layer upon layer of psych drenched instruments and menacing drone. Recenlty they have played SXSW and opened concerts for the Warlocks and BRMC.

Your Next (Mati Klarwein)

Mati Klarwein, Born 9th April 1932, his work remains unknown by many, even though he produced some of the most iconic images

of the 60's and 70's. Pigeon holed by critics as a psychedelic artist during this time, Mati's work is much deeper than that, displaying an enhanced perception of beauty that most of us experience only occasionally in our lives.

www.matiklarweinart.com

1965 Austin Texas

13th Floor Elevators, one of the first psychadelic rock bands were at the head of an exciting new counterculture. Their name, a play on the superstitions that led to many tall buildings not having a 13th floor at all, the Elevators pioneered the use of reverb and echo, sometimes dubbed 'acid-drenched guitar'. Another special aspect of The Elevators' sound came from Tommy Hall's innovative electric jug. The jug with a microphone held up to it while it was being blown, sounded somewhat like a cross between a minimoog and cuica drum. The band played most of their live shows and recorded their albums while under the influence of LSD, and built their lifestyle and music around the psychedelic experience. Intellectual and esoteric influences helped shape their work, with some worthwhile reading from Alfred Korzybski, and the psychedelic philosophy of Timothy Leary.

Dr. Timothy Leary

Science & Sanity - Alfred Korzybski

Their fisrt single, "Your gona miss me" was released in 1966. It was also the first song on the film "High Fidelity" in 2000.