Art Stars
Encyclopedia
Art Stars is a group of experimental performers, comedians, poets, storytellers, musicians, and performance artists located in and around New York's Lower East Side
. Appropriated by the New York Lower East Side open mic performance scene, the term "Art Star" was first coined by Andy Warhol. As used by local performers like the Rev. Jen Miller
in the mid 1990s, the term came to be used in that community as a tongue-in-cheek way to embody a non-competitive attitude (in which all artists/performers/participants are declared to be "Art Stars") shared among these performers in an otherwise competitive New York art and performance scene.
Long-running Art Star variety shows- such as Miller's Anti-Slam
, Faceboy
z Open Mic, Grindhouse-A-Go-Go!, Toilet, Rocket to Vaudeville, Night of 1000 Jennifers and, more recently, Sabelli's Underground Open Mic at Under St. Mark's Theater, have been a mainstay of some of New York's better known alternative art and performance venues such as Collective:Unconscious, the now-defunct Surf Reality
, and Bob Holman
's Bowery Poetry Club
. In addition to the self-published Art Star Scene Magazine, the scene has been profiled in The Village Voice
, Time Out New York ("Geek Chorus," front cover, Issue 569: August 24–30, 2006) and The New York Press
.
One notable performer at Art Star events was Margaret Trigg (1964–2003), who starred in ABC's Aliens in the Family, a 1996 Jim Henson Studios production. A classic beauty, she played both to and against type, very much the beauty on television, but often all but unrecognizable in her Art Star performances. Her spontaneous performances at Faceboyz Open Mic, which frequently closed the show, hours past midnight, were notable for their improvisational daring and audience interplay. Her scripted pieces tended to be monologues in character, deeply nuanced pieces that often veered from comedy to tragedy, similar to the early work of Whoopi Goldberg
, but drawing on the characters from her own Central Texas
roots, male and female. She was profiled in New York Magazine shortly after her death, focusing on her obsession with plastic surgery. Her death at 39 was attributed to the long-term effects of amphetamine use, connected to eating disorders.
Other notable members, past and present, of the Art Star community include hosts of the popular podcast Keith and The Girl (Keith Malley & Chemda Khalili); performers Bruce Smolanoff, Jim Melloan, John King the Lower East Side's Minister of Information, Abby Hertz, Amy Pacheco, Mike Raphone, Trav S.D.
, Lori Mocha, Master Lee, Mike Amato, Clara Belle, Walter Gambine, Legal Alien, Dave Ritz, Jeff Mac, George Courtney, Francis James, Black Ops Bob, CCJohn, Ace Cat, Sara Delphine, Ana Montana, Laruocco, Tom Nevin, Gerber, Q Man, David Leopold, Leonard Bin-Meyer, Joseph, Moonshine, Billy Idol Junior, Lopi LaRue, Noble Savage, Sarah Fisch, Leticia Veloria, Rick Patrick, Rob Shapiro, Tommy Nutsack, Andrew J. Lederer
, Barry Agida & The Sacred Clowns, Voodoo Lulu, Michele Carlo, Tom Tenney, Reverend Hank, The Purple Organ, Peplos Corey, Shut Up Shelley, Zero Boy, George Cutler, The Gothic Hangman, Bex Schwartz, Valmonte Sprout, Lloyd Floyd
and Vid Hardt (David Lauren); comedians Christian Finnegan
, Eric Kirchberger, Joey Gay
, Bob Powers, Jeff Mac, Amy Uzi, Jesse Richards
(Space Cowboy), the Reverend Francis McNerdz, Katrin Hier, Archangel Michael Stuart, Ivan Lenin; Mike Boner, Margaret Dodge, infamous "Soy Bomb" performance artist Michael Portnoy
, Curtis Scagnetti (Big Quiz Thing host Noah Tarnow), Jonny McGovern
, Irene Carroll, Eric Kirchberger, Faux Maux, Diva Queen Kathleen, Gecko, filmmaker/author Nick Zedd
, Shauna Lane, and authors Janice Erlbaum
, Jennifer Blowdryer, Big Mike, and Erik Seims.
Many notable performers have collaborated with various Art Stars, including Janeane Garofalo
, Marc Maron
, Moby
, Jonathan Ames
, and Karen Finley
. Other notable members include Andrew J. Lederer
, Lloyd Floyd
, Christian Finnegan
, Joey Gay
, Jessica Delfino
, Michael Portnoy
, Christopher X. Brodeur
, Jonny McGovern
, Jesse Richards
, Courtney Fathom Sell
, and Nick Zedd
.
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. Appropriated by the New York Lower East Side open mic performance scene, the term "Art Star" was first coined by Andy Warhol. As used by local performers like the Rev. Jen Miller
Rev. Jen Miller
Reverend Jen Miller is an American performer, underground movie star, writer, painter, director, preacher, and poet from Manhattan, New York City.- Activities :Miller writes the "Diary of an Art Star" column for Artnet and wrote the "I Did It for...
in the mid 1990s, the term came to be used in that community as a tongue-in-cheek way to embody a non-competitive attitude (in which all artists/performers/participants are declared to be "Art Stars") shared among these performers in an otherwise competitive New York art and performance scene.
Long-running Art Star variety shows- such as Miller's Anti-Slam
Anti-Slam
Anti-Slam is a movement that was started more than a decade ago by Rev. Jen Miller at a venue called Collective: Unconscious,in reaction to the Poetry Slam movement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The timely event has spawned a movement of non-traditional performance among Lower East Side...
, Faceboy
Faceboy
Francis "Faceboy" Hall is an actor, producer, and activist working in the New York City arts community. He has appeared in stage productions and several films, including Robert Downey Sr.'s Too Much Sun...
z Open Mic, Grindhouse-A-Go-Go!, Toilet, Rocket to Vaudeville, Night of 1000 Jennifers and, more recently, Sabelli's Underground Open Mic at Under St. Mark's Theater, have been a mainstay of some of New York's better known alternative art and performance venues such as Collective:Unconscious, the now-defunct Surf Reality
Surf Reality
Surf Reality's House of Urban Savages, also known as Surf Reality, was a 65 seat performance venue on Manhattan's Lower East Side from 1993-2003...
, and Bob Holman
Bob Holman
Bob Holman is a poet and poetry activist in the United States.- Career :After graduating from Columbia University in 1970, Bob Holman founded, with Sara Miles and Susie Timmons, the NYC Poetry Calendar, a free monthly publication with all the readings and poets "on the same page"...
's Bowery Poetry Club
Bowery Poetry Club
The Bowery Poetry Club is a New York City poetry performance space founded by Bob Holman in 2002. Located at 308 Bowery, between Bleecker and Houston Streets in Manhattan's East Village, the BPC provides a home base for established and upcoming artists...
. In addition to the self-published Art Star Scene Magazine, the scene has been profiled in The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
, Time Out New York ("Geek Chorus," front cover, Issue 569: August 24–30, 2006) and The New York Press
New York Press
New York Press was a free alternative weekly in New York City, that was published from 1988 to 2011. During its lifetime, it was the main competitor to the Village Voice...
.
One notable performer at Art Star events was Margaret Trigg (1964–2003), who starred in ABC's Aliens in the Family, a 1996 Jim Henson Studios production. A classic beauty, she played both to and against type, very much the beauty on television, but often all but unrecognizable in her Art Star performances. Her spontaneous performances at Faceboyz Open Mic, which frequently closed the show, hours past midnight, were notable for their improvisational daring and audience interplay. Her scripted pieces tended to be monologues in character, deeply nuanced pieces that often veered from comedy to tragedy, similar to the early work of Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, but drawing on the characters from her own Central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
roots, male and female. She was profiled in New York Magazine shortly after her death, focusing on her obsession with plastic surgery. Her death at 39 was attributed to the long-term effects of amphetamine use, connected to eating disorders.
Other notable members, past and present, of the Art Star community include hosts of the popular podcast Keith and The Girl (Keith Malley & Chemda Khalili); performers Bruce Smolanoff, Jim Melloan, John King the Lower East Side's Minister of Information, Abby Hertz, Amy Pacheco, Mike Raphone, Trav S.D.
Trav S.D.
Donald Travis Stewart is a leading figure in the new vaudeville movement, an author, journalist, playwright and stage performer.-Career:...
, Lori Mocha, Master Lee, Mike Amato, Clara Belle, Walter Gambine, Legal Alien, Dave Ritz, Jeff Mac, George Courtney, Francis James, Black Ops Bob, CCJohn, Ace Cat, Sara Delphine, Ana Montana, Laruocco, Tom Nevin, Gerber, Q Man, David Leopold, Leonard Bin-Meyer, Joseph, Moonshine, Billy Idol Junior, Lopi LaRue, Noble Savage, Sarah Fisch, Leticia Veloria, Rick Patrick, Rob Shapiro, Tommy Nutsack, Andrew J. Lederer
Andrew J. Lederer
Andrew J. Lederer is a New York-based comedian who has also starred in low-budget movies and worked in writing and production.-Early life:Growing up in New York City, Andrew appeared as a vocal soloist with the Brooklyn Borough-Wide Chorus, both in live performance and on CBS-TV...
, Barry Agida & The Sacred Clowns, Voodoo Lulu, Michele Carlo, Tom Tenney, Reverend Hank, The Purple Organ, Peplos Corey, Shut Up Shelley, Zero Boy, George Cutler, The Gothic Hangman, Bex Schwartz, Valmonte Sprout, Lloyd Floyd
Lloyd Floyd
Lloyd Floyd, "the man of 1,036 voices" is a voice actor initially known for his work as the voice of DJ Hans Oberlander in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories as the main host of the show Bait and Switch in VCPR station as 'Larry Joe'. He voices Gary Guitar,...
and Vid Hardt (David Lauren); comedians Christian Finnegan
Christian Finnegan
Fletcher Christian Finnegan , better known as Christian Finnegan, is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor based in New York City.-Early life:Finnegan was born in Albany, New York...
, Eric Kirchberger, Joey Gay
Joey Gay
Joseph Vincent "Joey" Gay is an actor/comedian who appeared in Last Comic Standing 4 but he lost and was voted off. He has had numerous appearances in Law & Order, and appeared on Live at Gotham.-External links:*...
, Bob Powers, Jeff Mac, Amy Uzi, Jesse Richards
Jesse Richards
Jesse Richards is a painter, filmmaker and photographer from New Haven, Connecticut and was affiliated with the international movement Stuckism.-Early life:...
(Space Cowboy), the Reverend Francis McNerdz, Katrin Hier, Archangel Michael Stuart, Ivan Lenin; Mike Boner, Margaret Dodge, infamous "Soy Bomb" performance artist Michael Portnoy
Michael Portnoy
Michael Portnoy is an American multimedia artist, choreographer, musician and actor. He calls himself a "Director of Behavior".-Performance artist:...
, Curtis Scagnetti (Big Quiz Thing host Noah Tarnow), Jonny McGovern
Jonny McGovern
Jonny McGovern , also known by his character name The Gay Pimp, is an American stand-up comedian, musician and podcaster. He has recorded three albums as comedic singer The Gay Pimp, and is also a cast member of Logo's The Big Gay Sketch Show.-Early life:Jonny McGovern was born to Mary McGovern and...
, Irene Carroll, Eric Kirchberger, Faux Maux, Diva Queen Kathleen, Gecko, filmmaker/author Nick Zedd
Nick Zedd
Nick Zedd is an American filmmaker and author based in New York City. He coined the term Cinema of Transgression in 1985 to describe a loose-knit group of like-minded filmmakers and artists using shock value and black humor in their work...
, Shauna Lane, and authors Janice Erlbaum
Janice Erlbaum
Janice Erlbaum is an American slam poet from New York City who is the author of GirlBomb: A Halfway Homeless Memoir and Have You Found Her: A Memoir...
, Jennifer Blowdryer, Big Mike, and Erik Seims.
Many notable performers have collaborated with various Art Stars, including Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
, Marc Maron
Marc Maron
Marc Maron is an American stand-up comedian and podcast host.He has been host of The Marc Maron Show, and co-host of both Morning Sedition, and Breakroom Live, all politically-oriented shows, produced under the auspices of Air America Media. He was also the host of Comedy Central's Short Attention...
, Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
, Jonathan Ames
Jonathan Ames
Jonathan Ames is an American author who has written a number of novels and comic memoirs. He was a columnist for the New York Press for several years, and became known for self-deprecating tales of his sexual misadventures. He also has a long-time envy of boxing, appearing occasionally in the ring...
, and Karen Finley
Karen Finley
Karen Finley is an American performance artist, whose theatrical pieces and recordings have often been labelled "obscene" due to their graphic depictions of sexuality, abuse, and disenfranchisement...
. Other notable members include Andrew J. Lederer
Andrew J. Lederer
Andrew J. Lederer is a New York-based comedian who has also starred in low-budget movies and worked in writing and production.-Early life:Growing up in New York City, Andrew appeared as a vocal soloist with the Brooklyn Borough-Wide Chorus, both in live performance and on CBS-TV...
, Lloyd Floyd
Lloyd Floyd
Lloyd Floyd, "the man of 1,036 voices" is a voice actor initially known for his work as the voice of DJ Hans Oberlander in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories as the main host of the show Bait and Switch in VCPR station as 'Larry Joe'. He voices Gary Guitar,...
, Christian Finnegan
Christian Finnegan
Fletcher Christian Finnegan , better known as Christian Finnegan, is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor based in New York City.-Early life:Finnegan was born in Albany, New York...
, Joey Gay
Joey Gay
Joseph Vincent "Joey" Gay is an actor/comedian who appeared in Last Comic Standing 4 but he lost and was voted off. He has had numerous appearances in Law & Order, and appeared on Live at Gotham.-External links:*...
, Jessica Delfino
Jessica Delfino
Jessica Delfino is a controversial singer, songwriter, and comedienne based in New York City. Her songs tend to ridicule taboos and typically include jokes about vaginas and other sexual or dark topics. In her act, she plays an assortment of instruments including guitar, flying V ukulele and a...
, Michael Portnoy
Michael Portnoy
Michael Portnoy is an American multimedia artist, choreographer, musician and actor. He calls himself a "Director of Behavior".-Performance artist:...
, Christopher X. Brodeur
Christopher X. Brodeur
Christopher X. Brodeur is an artist, writer, and musician. Brodeur has been acquitted and found not guilty after being arrested and spending time in jail for harassing members of New York City's mayor's press office staff...
, Jonny McGovern
Jonny McGovern
Jonny McGovern , also known by his character name The Gay Pimp, is an American stand-up comedian, musician and podcaster. He has recorded three albums as comedic singer The Gay Pimp, and is also a cast member of Logo's The Big Gay Sketch Show.-Early life:Jonny McGovern was born to Mary McGovern and...
, Jesse Richards
Jesse Richards
Jesse Richards is a painter, filmmaker and photographer from New Haven, Connecticut and was affiliated with the international movement Stuckism.-Early life:...
, Courtney Fathom Sell
Courtney Fathom Sell
Courtney Fathom Sell is an American filmmaker, musician, composer, writer and video artist who specializes in documentary films. He is the founder of Slumlord Productions, an independent film production company, and has shot a majority of his work on a Hi8 video camera.An advocate of D.I.Y...
, and Nick Zedd
Nick Zedd
Nick Zedd is an American filmmaker and author based in New York City. He coined the term Cinema of Transgression in 1985 to describe a loose-knit group of like-minded filmmakers and artists using shock value and black humor in their work...
.
See also
- Surf RealitySurf RealitySurf Reality's House of Urban Savages, also known as Surf Reality, was a 65 seat performance venue on Manhattan's Lower East Side from 1993-2003...
- ABC No RioABC No RioABC No Rio is a social center located at 156 Rivington Street on New York City's Lower East Side that was founded in 1980. It features a gallery space, a zine library, a darkroom, a silkscreening studio, and public computer lab...
- Collective:Unconscious
- Performance Space 122Performance Space 122Performance Space 122, generally known as P.S. 122, is a not-for-profit arts organization and one of the longest standing venues dedicated to contemporary performance art in New York City. Founded in 1979 in the abandoned Public School 122 building at 150 First Avenue at East 9th Street in the East...
- Upright Citizens BrigadeUpright Citizens BrigadeThe Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...
External links
- The Show Goes Downtown from New York Magazine
- The Church of the Open Mic from The Morning NewsThe Morning News (online magazine)The Morning News is a U.S.-based daily online magazine founded in 1999 by Rosecrans Baldwin and Andrew Womack. It began as an email newsletter and in the fall of 2000 evolved into a news-oriented weblog with a New York focus...
- Gecko, Mistress of the Lower East Side Tesla Coils, 2004 from The Villager
- East Side Arts from Downtown Express
- He speaks the truth softly, at a show called Talkingstick Master Lee in The Villager
- Slamming Back from Village Voice
- Exit, Stage Lower East Side from Village Voice
- Jan 2002, Reverend Jen's Anti-Slam from the Village Voice
- Take The New Comedy. Please. PDF version of New York Times article by Neil Strauss
- NY Times Letter to the Editor: Downtown Still Bohemian; City Section letter by Katrin Hier
- Alternative Comedy: Laughs on the Edge PDF version of Wall Street Journal article by James S. Hirsch