Former front man of the now defunct Guided By Voices, Robert Pollard has continued to release albums on his own, still carrying the tradition of what made GBV one of the most influential independent rock bands of the 1990's and early years of the new century (they broke up in 2004.) Known mostly for their frenetic lo-fi sound, unpredictable stage antics (usually alcohol induced,) and their seemingly tireless ability to release tons of material, GBV had much to do with sculpting the sound and vision of bands such as Sonic Youth and The Breeders.
Pollard was the centerpiece of GBV and still is something of a showman. The reason I am telling you this is because his latest art work and his new book will be the main attraction at Durhams Third Friday.
From Merge Records :
The inspiration behind the art show is the forthcoming coffee-table book entitled Town of Mirrors: The Reassembled Imagery of Robert Pollard, which will be released by Fantagraphics on August 6. Town of Mirrors collects the very best of Pollard’s visual art and lyrics/poetry. Featuring over 180 of Pollard’s favorite collages, hand-picked by the artist, as well as over a dozen new collages produced exclusively for this book, this is the first comprehensive collection of Pollard’s visual art ever released. The Durham show will include collages from the book as well as newer pieces. Original artwork and copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Whether or not you know who Pollard is or what Guided By Voices was, I can say that this exhibit will be worth checking out.
