An interview with Martin Wong, co-founder and Doer at Save Music in Chinatown/ Writer at interTrend, Imprint Culture Lab, and the626.com.
I tried not to gush too much when my pal Vicki Berndt introduced me to Horace Panter at their recent group art show. It turns out the bass player for The Specials, the much-loved and super influential 2-Tone ska band, is also a fine artist who masterfully paints immaculate and eye-popping tributes to vintage California signage, architecture, and landscapes. I instantly loved his vision of the Lone Pine Hotel that I have driven by dozens of times on the way to Mammoth Lakes and connected with the tribute to Philippe The Original, where I get coffee and donuts multiple times a week in Chinatown. Who knew a guy associated with black-and-white checkered album covers had such a love for colorful Americana from the mid-century and even before?
This summer was a perfect time to meet Horace and his partner Clare, because The Specials happen to be on the road in the U.S. right now and the two will be attending a group art show at the tour’s end. For Cassettes Versus Vinyl, Horace is contributing paintings of punk and post punk tapes (both demos from recording studios and homemade mixes) and showing alongside two other British contemporary artists, Chris Barton and Morgan Howell. On eve of the SoCal events, how could I not ask Gentleman Horace some questions about art and music?
Read the full article at bymartinwong.wordpress.com