I’m pleased to announce the release of Incurable Disorder : The Art of Elizabeth McGrath [Last Gasp], the second full-length monograph of this visionary artist’s works, including dioramas, mixed media paintings and three-dimensional sculptures produced from 2005 to 2012.
In addition to over 200 color images, the book includes introductory essays by filmmaker/producer Morgan Spurlock, McGrath’s art dealer Alix Sloan, and the artist herself.
Regarding the creative process of the “damaged anthropomorphized animals who would rather bite than be healed,” McGrath explains “The conception of these brainchildren is hard to pinpoint. They stem from the emotional encounters I have with humans, landscapes and objects, and are further shaped by the constant stream of words and images that survive my mind’s filter. Once I have the skeleton of an idea, the rest comes automatically, but staying on task through the many hours it takes to complete one of these works requires a heavy dose of news radio, stories, and audio books. For instance, the chapter titled ‘Altarwise by Owl Light’ started with a Dylan Thomas poem but grew during The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley…”
She continues, “When I see the finished pieces it takes me back to the story or vice-versa, like memories from a vacation.”
As aforementioned, the tome is divided into sections — each paired with a passage from a poem or literary work that functions as a companion piece. The chapters are as follows :
Tears of The Crocodile
[ excerpt from the poem “What All The World Is Made Of” by Robert Southey ]
Altarwise by Owl-Light
[ with an excerpt from the Dylan Thomas poem of the same name ]
Incurable Disorder
[ accompanied by my poem Dead Letters : Twenty-Six Are in its entirety ]
American Animals
[ excerpt from Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson ]
Shadowless Summer
[ excerpt from Thomas Pynchon‘s novella The Crying of Lot 49 ]
With Tomorrow’s Scream
[ accompanied by a quote from Redmond King ]
Elizabeth — a.k.a. Liz, a.k.a. “Bloodbath” — McGrath is the only artist whose creations I collect, and without doubt, one of my favorite people on the planet. We met through a mutual friend in 2002, when I was asked to M.C. the Broken Dolls fashion show in January of the following year.
I’ve written about her numerous times between then and now : regarding the release of her first retrospective Everything That Creeps in January of 2006, the premiere of Cecil B Feeder‘s documentary Bloodbath : The Movie, the main subject of which is — yep, you guessed it — in 2011.
I even modeled for CREEP Clothing, Miss McGrath’s collaboration with B.F.F. Winter Rosebudd : a feat which included strutting around Echo Park with an evil-horned creature [the duo’s slaughtered chupacabra stole] draped about my shoulders, the pièce de résistance complete with velvet cloven hooves and a poisoned arrow. And did I love it? Every fantastic click and tick of the clock.
In short, Liz is generous, genuine, a true talent, and a stead-fast friend. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and truly : I’m honored to be part of this chronicle of her creative outpourings.
Oh. And uh, in the event you might have been “skimming”? It’s as simple as this : Incurable Disorder = new book you need in your life. Me? New poem in book. Matter of fact, I’ll save you a click and leave a copy right here, even . . .
Cheers!
