small engine 1.14.2011

 ink drawing by christoph knerr

 it was cold but not bitter, and hoodied kids crowded la calaca, aka small engine,  the new metamedia psychedelic playpen en el barrio barelas.  it's “experimental,” you guys (i.e., no heat).  reclusive illustrator christoph knerr[1] had a rare show, presenting a new series of caligo drawings.  along with the exhibition, "creatures in little big spaces," were musical performances from great white buffalo, shoulder voices, and leeches of lore.

knerr is author of the mess explosion comics, and  also illustrated the cover of leeches of lore’s latest album, “attack the future,” (released on cassette in 2010 by sicksicksick distro).  knerr’s art is also seen on show posters, mini-comics, and other paraphernalia for boris and the saltlicks, fast heart mart, and the saltine ramblers. 

leeches of lore "attack the future"  ink and color pen by christoph knerr

wee pen-and- ink devils and other creatures look like they’re from one of the more sinister texts off the guttenberg press.  each dark drawing, roughly 2"x2," is consumed  with equal passion for purgatorial fantasy and the rational laws of perspective.  strange to see something so painstakingly simple and handmade.  these are not our ways anymore. 

[ missed great white buffalo, sorry ]

behind a small armory of star stained, once-pink stuffed animals, shoulder voices  traced over old love wounds with multi-conscious rock that was, like the pile of teddy bears at their feet, fuzzy and wrought.  there were pink unicorn rim shot jokes aplenty.   wearing red-on-red little-boy’s brontosaurus t-shirt and glittery cummerbund, little bobby wondered in a racked croon:  “you are so -->sensitive <-- why can’t you be more?”  exactly.  i couldn’t agree with you more. 

next, leeches of lore began their set by ripping the guts out of “cougar v. bear.”   leeches representing the new mexico real, what with the science fiction and the porch-setting country crashing into holy fucking metal murder.   that’s how we roll.  leeches of lore is one of the best bands playing —check them out.

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[1] that’s pronounced “kuh-nehr,” as in “kuh-nerrd.”  he’s german, and that’s how they say it.  

small engine

albuquerque, nm