From Amber
Ah, Tahiti. While many Nevada City natives are well known for making notable works of art (in whatever medium) none but him are known as: creator of absolutely spectacular, originally conceived, completely one-of-a-kind artwork, initiator and front man of now-defunct bands with names such as Night Court (yes, they dressed in full costume on stage) and The Healing Curse, master barbeque-er, and father to Nevada City's favorite little girl, my daughter's best friend Esme (Mycelia is Grass Valley's favorite little girl ;-)
Behold the four-layered masterpiece, Neptune's Daughter:
(And I don't call it a masterpiece just because my husband Graham and I modeled as the mer-folk for the piece either).
Behold as well the cover to good friend and fellow inspired artist Devendra Banhart's 2006 album:
And also behold this! A towering, 3 dimensional paper cake with all manner of images and words meticulously cut out to produce one of the most stunning works of art I've ever laid eyes on. I was absolutely mesmerized by it one night as I lay in Tahiti's bed during his birthday party nursing Mycie asleep (as Carabeth lay in her bed one room over nursing Esme to sleep) with the cake a few feet away from my amazed eyes:
Not only has he rented this thing out to rich strangers for their extravagant birthday parties, but he also set it up in the backyard for Esme and Mycie's 2nd birthday party last August! (Yes, that is Tahiti himself, wearing his own handmade shirt, along with the tutu-clad birthday girls):
Speaking of Tahiti's handmade shirts- which have been sported by only the hippest kids in Nevada County for years now- he has recently set up an Etsy shop Hunting Memories through which he is making the shirts (or, as he puts it on the site, "hand cut silkscreens and astral travel gear, global warm up suits for nature's gangsters) available to only the hippest kids in every county (or country! for that matter). He is also selling pins there now and will be adding wall hanging art pieces (such as those featured here) as well as other marvelousness of a random nature in the future. The man gladly accepts commissions too.
But back to the beholding:
I love this one! Tahiti is a goddamned genius. You can make out the texture of the clothing, and the girls all look so beautiful and vibrant. Need I remind you that this is a paper stencil?
And now my friends, behold the tiniest piece to be featured here today. This is Tahiti's portrait of Nevada City music master Marc Snegg, founder of Grass Roots Record Company. This one is just too good to be true:
Now hold on there tiger, there's one more "epicly layered" piece to behold:
Tahiti's in the midst of figuring out a dope website sitch for himself, so in the meantime, to see more of his artwork, befriend him on Myspace.
This entry was posted
on Saturday, January 24th, 2009 at 4:28 pm and is filed under local artists, musicians, & other creative folk, the folk we frolic with.
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First of all:
That is legitimately insane. In a good way.
Also:
I’ve been going through a Devendra Banhart phase in a major sort of way lately.
And now you’re telling me that I live in the same town as someone who can be considered a “dear friend” of him?
This is even bigger than when I realized Alela Diane and Mariee Sioux were natives here, haha.
these are so so beautiful. i want to see them for real. and i want all those t-shirts too.
how magical!
Magic!
Devendra Banhart is amazing, I listen to Cripple Crow on repeat.
Oh my !!! That is simply stunning.
Breathtaking.
x x x
___mathyld___
WOW, incredible! Might I add that you and Graham make beautiful mer-folk indeed, love that piece :)
Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!
[...] honor of our recent photo shoot, featuring some of Tahiti’s massive hand cut paper art pieces as backdrops, we’d thought we’d give away one [...]