Q: So what does a former art-school party girl do during the daytime on weekends?
A: Drink and draw dirty pictures at famed burlesque club Slipper Room on the Lower East Side at for Dr. Sketchy's.
Illustrator Molly Crabapple and writer John Leavitt hosted a debauched anti-art school drawing session with costumed characters, fully stocked bar and morally disturbing contests. This particular session was modeled by rock band Bambi Killers in a bloody homage (with props!) to the movie Grindhouse.
Molly is holding a drawing of Ms. F’s for a contest for the most gratuitous sex and violence in a sketch. For my particular illustration, I created an interpretive tribute to the infamous Elizabeth Bathory. For the lower brow, it was an illustration of naked lesbians in fishnets, heels and severed heads. This was as much gratuitous sex and violence as I could come up with under the influence of Sugar Sweet Sunshine cupcakes and my second cocktail. (Who knew gin paired so nicely with buttercream?)
Unfortunately, yours truly did not win. The winning drawing was a sketch pad with some scribbles and the word “COCK” written in large bold letter across the page. For this crowd, the direct approach clearly has the most appeal. Lesson learned.
At least my art did elicit some nice compliments that afternoon… Some younger, male art students said very kind things. One older gentleman (who did not appear to be in attendance to draw…or do anything productive) came over to tell me he “Reeaaally reeaally liked my artwork and style,” with the demeanor of a wolf drooling over a sleeping rabbit.
It is the highest form of flattery for an artist to know that your work has the power to move someone.
Am I being too picky if I am creeped out about which actual part of the person it moves?
