Calling From the Fun House


If you could take the music of the Stooges, put it down on canvas and call it art, what would it look like? A pig-faced half-man? Some busted-up shit? The crazed brushstrokes of ex-junkies and other degenerates?

Well, yeah, of course. And soon art lovers will get to see these artistic ravings firsthand. The C-Pop Gallery in Detroit is hosting a Funhouse Art Show, featuring the visual art of the Stooges and other punk artists. The exhibition's curator is Detroit punk goddess Niagara (of Destroy All Monsters fame, although she's better known for her art these days).

Niagara said the show mostly focuses on the artwork of Iggy Pop and Ron Asheton, with some selections from Scott Asheton thrown in for good measure. Iggy’s paintings include self-portraits of Osterbergs young and old, as well as portraits of his Stooge bandmates.

"He did a portrait of Ron that is so insanely horrifying that we can not take our eyes off of it," Niagara said. "It looks like something from The Island of Dr. Moreau."

That piece gives the Stooge guitarist a half-human form with a pig nose and hair that looks like dog ears. Which, given his bestial guitar styling, seems appropriate.

Ron’s own works include paintings, drawings and cartoons "He did a pencil drawing of (John F.) Kennedy that is just killer—literally, I mean there's blood all over," Niagara said.

Another highlight of Ron’s work is a series of TV Guide covers with the eyes erased out and imagery like Nazi regalia drawn on top. An earlier series of six was sold this past summer to Renee Zellweger for $3,000, Niagara said.

"I didn't think anybody would buy them," said a slightly crestfallen Niagara, noting that those pieces originated in her personal collection.

Scott Asheton gets into the act, too, working in the most appropriate medium: busted drumheads with scrawling on them. Niagara said the show will give insight into the Stooges, but it isn’t likely to change anyone’s perspective on the band.

"The question is: ‘does the art look like what the music sounds like? The music and the art aren’t that dissimilar. They’re both pretty untamed styles. Iggy will call it ‘raw,’ of course," Niagara said. "It's not a different kind of thing than you would expect from the music. I think the whole style of how they play is in the art there."

Along with the Stooges, the show is filled with other visionary artist/musicians. Rockers contributing pieces to the show include Lou Reed, Joey and Dee Dee Ramone, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, King Buzzo of the Melvins, and Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo. Punk magazine founder John Holmstrom and poster artist Mark Arminiski are also included in the show. So are photographers Bob Gruen, Leni Sinclair, and Robert Matheu (CREEM shooters all, dontcha know).

Niagara said all of these heavy hitters have been excited about the process. "It seems like everyone in the show is so into it," Niagara said. "It’s really been fabulous."

The exhibit runs Feb. 7 through March 2. The gallery is located at 4160 Woodward Ave. in downtown Detroit. The public opening for Funhouse is Feb. 7 at 8 p.m., with entertainment throughout the evening featuring the Demolition Dollrods and surprise guests.  For more information, call (313) 833-9901 or visit www.cpop.com. (And if you go, pop by Young Soul Rebels upstairs—one of CREEM’s favorite record stores for good, reasonably priced vinyl)