Wim Delvoye

“I like to stick my middle finger up at the establishment. I am a trouble maker.” says Belgian artist .

Delvoye’s art is arch and knowing. But, http://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifmost importantly it makes people laugh as well as think. He’s tattooed pigs with classic biker designs. His ‘shit machine’ is a giant, room-sized robot that replicates the human digestive process.

He’s made elaborate parquet floors featuring a range of delicatessen meats. He’s carved enormous cement mixers from teak, and created stained glass windows, which on close inspection are made up of X-Rays of people having sex.

It’s funny. It’s cartoony. Kids like it as much as their parents. It’s as all-encompassing as fine art gets. As Wim says, “In Belgium we’re not pretentious enough to think we can change the world.”

Wim’s work is often darkly funny. He created a collection called “Gothic Works” which consisted of nine stained glass windows, which on closer inspection were made up of X rays of people giving blowjobs, kissing, and having sex. Sex rays. Wim’s friends posed for the pictures. He laughs, “They are anonymous, but if you were a really good dentist you could probably confirm who they are.”

Super Mario Brothers in Lego

I know this is turning into writing about old video games week, but hell, this is so cute.

Super Mario Brothers in Lego form. And the sound effects are hilarious.

Mario Bros. Lego
Uploaded by Bibi-de-Bibopof

Zelda meets Led Zeppelin T Shirt

I've been playing Zelda over the weekend. I wish I'd had this Led Zeppelin-style t shirt to wear while I'm sling shotting and throwing pigs around. It's only $22 from Hot Topic.

The Wonderful World of Katamari Damacy

My favourite video game, Katamari Damacy, has the most extraordinary introductory sequence of all time.

All singing, all dancing, and utterly impenetrable. But it makes me happy and excited at the thought of the forthcoming rolling-up-the-world fun. It's like the title song from some wonderfully camp cartoon musical dreamed up by a team of Smartie-stuffed Japanese children. Here it is. Sing a long. And don't let the fact that it’s in Japanese stop you.

New Benefit BadGal Mascara. Lashless Girls Everywhere Rejoice.

I'm a big fan of the retro stylings and luscious indulgence of Benefit Cosmetics. and their BadGal mascara is fit for the toughest gang girl. So the news that they're bringing out an eye-enhancing navy blue version (they claim it will appear to intensify your eye colour) makes me very very happy.

Now, if only they could carry the whole range in every branch of Boots...

Evocative pictures of British greasy spoon cafes

I love to browse flickr. Today I searched on greasyspoon and turned up this lovely set of pictures.

Fair makes my mouth water in anticipation of salty eggies.

Joequbik took the one I've pasted above. He's good.

Free Designer T Shirt Downloads

Fashion rulebreaker Nick Knight's Showstudio is an exciting, creative and somewhat confusing place. There is some tremendously interesting work on it, but you'll have to dig deep through inpenetrable twaddle and odd layout. Lucky for you I did that today, and unearthed these gems.

Judy Blame, Julie Verhoeven (her design pictured) and Peter Saville have all contributed designs that you can download in PDF format, print on t shirt transfers and sport with pride. Go here, make, do, wear.

And you don't have to put it on a t shirt. Tote bags, coats, hoodies, perhaps even a table cloth or curtains, all could benefit from a light jazz of free designery goodness.

Strange and Wonderful Albums: My Beauty by Kevin Rowland

Kevin Rowland
My Beauty

In 1999 the ex-lead singer of Dexy’s Midnight Runners was coming out of a period of post-fame bankruptcy and cocaine addiction. He was deeply into therapy, fragile and emotional. Luckily, Alan McGee from Creation Records was on hand to expose him to national ridicule by enabling the release of one of the most bizarre solo albums of all time.

The cover image is a showstopper. Kevin in a midnight blue dress, hitched up to reveal stockings and a pair of manky pants, and pulled down to show his nipples.

It’s rumoured that when he was in recovery, he had listened to an hour of easy listening greyhair station Magic FM, and covered every song he heard. In order. As Rowland says in the sleevenotes, "These songs started to penetrate my frightened world. They reawakened something I'd only fleetingly sensed before… it was beauty… my beauty."

Witness the insanity. Whitney’s The Greatest Love of All, with a whispered intro, “Mother…” before Rowland’s soaring tenor breaks. Kevin isn’t afraid to personalise lyrics – Squeeze’s ‘Labelled With Love’ is renamed ‘I’ll Stay With My Dreams’. Kevin also trounces The Monkees’ ‘Daydream Believer’, The Unit Four Plus Two’s ‘Concrete And The Clay’ and ‘The Long And Winding Road’ by The Beatles.

The anguish of an over-therapised man audified, My Beauty sold only a handful of records. Shortly after its release, I saw him perform at the Reading festival wearing a white dress and stockings, accompanied by two strippers. It was one of the single greatest live performances I’ve ever seen. Rowland bravely struggling with a terrible sound, a breaking voice, and a field of mud being thrown into his face. Afterwards, as I saw him being assured by McGee that the show was amazing, I thought I was going to cry.

Happily, Dexy’s reformed and Kevin now seems in fine fettle. My Beauty just remains as a peek into his fall into the abyss.

Here's a video of Kevin singing The Concrete And The Clay from the album. Enjoy...

Chimps in a Band

Yes it's cruel. Making chimpanzees 'play' instruments. But it's so funny. 1960s American children's favourites Lancelot Link and the Evolution Revolution go go-go power! But doesn't he have a lovely clear voice for a hairy, long armed creature? Although, of course, that never stopped Liam Gallagher etc etc...

Tom of Finland Bed Linen

The genius who came up with the idea of Tom Of Finland bed linen deserves to be carried around their village on the shoulders of their friends. From further away, Dirty Linen's designs look like a dainty lady toile. But on closer inspection, Tom's seventies gay clone muscle men pose, flex and kiss filthily across your pillows.

The other designs are just dandy too - the tattoo style 'vice' and the groovy 'suburban' aren't quite as daring, but still stylish.

A pair of pillow cases will set you back $35, which is pricey, but worth every penny for the eye raises (or flirty winks) you'll get when washing these down the launderette. Buy them here