The art of Mike Biagiotti and LA punk band Drowse at the Empty Space - By Nick Belardes

I hung out at the Empty Space Theatre last Saturday afternoon and took the Buck City Podcast on the road to talk to Mike Biagiotti of punk band, Drowse. While the podcast is still under construction I can report on some cool pictures of the event I took of Mike’s Picasso-esque cubist perspective of Los Angeles and its urban-Latino themes.



You'll love his richly textured oils on wood. See Aztecs in the golden Californio-urban sun, Chicano fiery visions and urban-Martian cubist-rendered drunken invasions. Many of these painting were created on throw-a-way wood that Mike Biagiotti painstakingly found and painted upon, including an old pantry door and other bits and pieces that give his work a sculptured effect...





The Empty Space Theatre has one of the hippest galleries in town. The artwork is always hung with optimal expression of the artist and the artwork in mind. It’s a symbiotic relationship between art, artist, architecture and the aesthetics of the uniquely free spirit of the Empty Space Theatre. Julia Heatherwick does an outstanding job as curator. Take a look at these photos of Mike’s artwork in relation to architecture and people in the gallery.





And then mix art with performance, but not performance art, but hard-edged punk rock. This is some of the most bluesy-punk I’ve ever heard with a passion that seems right off the rough streets of New York. I asked Biagiotti that question. He’s got the tough-sounding accent, but he said his punk-blues music comes more from having listened to blues music, not from growing up on rough streets…





Please go to the Empty Space and see the art of Mike Biagiotti… it will be running for the next few weeks… (Check out what Matildakay had to say about the show)

This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on Monday, September 19, 2005. You can leave your response.