I've been remiss posting about my favorite genre lately, mostly because I'm busy writing it! HOORAY!
Yes, after fangirling the brilliance of folks like Cherie Priest, Scott Westerfeld, Gail Carriger, Phil Foglio and others, I finally had a couple of ideas of my own and one rose to the top to take over my brain. I'm at about the half-way point and having fun and it reminded me of my last trip to be inspired by brass-n-gears at the Mark Twain House.
I'm a *huge* fan of Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain and to have the Mark Twain House & Museum practically in my backyard is something almost sinfully awesome. They have events ranging from readings and collections to masquerade balls and exclusive evenings; Better-Than-Boyfriend and I had a memorable Valentine's one year listening to letters written from Samuel to his wife read aloud by a talented Mark Twain actor. So when I had the chance to see a friend's art there for a steampunk exhibition, well, that's an invitation I couldn't ignore!
I love this place, both inside and out!
First, remember: you're in Connecticut, home of the Huskies, Mark Twain and Lego so I shouldn't've been surprised to be greeted by a life-sized replica of Samuel Clemens made out of Lego blocks. That's how we roll in the Nutmeg State, so already, I'm starting this adventure with a smile!
"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't." - Mark Twain
Then it's off into the depths of the exhibit, low-lit and creepy with spotlights on each "artifact" on a podium, under glass or on display. My favorites were the Mark Twain art, the sea creature sample, and the mysterious "talking ghost" machine that had amplifiers hooked up and was blasting rambling-thoughts storytelling from the hooked up brain in a jar.
A great "What If?" portrait of Mark Twain the Steampunk Writer
& Tom Sawyer would have had an even BIGGER line to help whitewash the fence if he'd had one of these set ups!
Okay, I'll admit it--this thing creeped me out. It wouldn't stop staring. MUCH scarier than the Mona Lisa!
Creepy brain talky box and things that fly! Oh, the ideas this planted in my mind...
Then I got to see the stuff I recognized:
These are some examples of Brett Kelley's work. It's dark comic-esque with intense and often disturbingly beautiful overtones makes it stand out from the ordinary (and brands his popular tattoo and skateboard designs)! His work often features masks and skulls and beating hearts along with pumps and gears and futuristic clockwork. He plays with minimalist lines and different colors and textures. I even have one of my own:
My own piece of BK original art, that is. Not a tattoo or a skateboard. I'm lame.
So what am I looking forward to next? The next BK Enterprises art show wouldn't be too bad, but I can't wait for the next series out by Ms. Carriger and her harem of Armenian copyeditors! Etiquette & Espionage coming Feb. 5th! You've seen the trailer, right? Right? Well, just to be sure, here it is:
You're welcome!
