Wine & Cigars
Starting on the second of February, I have an intimate exhibition on at the Inverarity One to One wine and cigar retailer. A finer bottle of wine or sweeter cigar couldn't hope to be procured in Glasgow other than through these doors. This haven of vices is to be found in the basement of 185a Bath Street, underneath the Glasgow Art Club (or across from Saint Judes the cocktail bar). Expect some new paintings that are uncharacteristically ZINGARO.
Obama the Teenager
I'm not sure why I always imagined the teenage Obama to have a mustache (I've looked it up, he didn't). I think he would have looked rather fetching.
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| Teenage Obama, 20x30cm, acrylics & conte, 2012AD. £70 |
Cortez
Samuel Cortez was one of Fidel Castro's doubles and was part of the leader's infamous group of secret agents, spies and security personnel who worked around the clock to ensure that Castro was kept alive. He needed them, in his 47 years of power, there were no less than 638 assassination attempts - Some of these were carried out by hard-line Cuban Exiles, but the vast majority were the (botched) work of the CIA. Doesn't say much for them really does it? This sketch is a prize for musician Lewis Watson who was the 200th person to 'like' THIS page.
Dressing Up
When we were kids the chances are that we enjoyed dressing up. For some of us, this desire never left. It sounds like a cliché to say that our clothes can reflect the person that we feel ourselves to be....and that's because it is. Having said that, I believe it to be true. The photographs you are about to see are what I would call constructed identities. The garments that feature are all from my personal collection and I have worn them at some point, though not necessarily in these rather lurid combinations - In that sense, they are unarguably authentic. Identity fascinates me...but not to the extent where it becomes little more than abject narcissism - I just wanted to have a little fun. Perhaps I am trying to subvert my self-indulgent state of being a little by indulging you with these photos. I sincerely hope that you get some enjoyment from them, whether it be fleeting amusement or of a deeply dubious nature.
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| The Sultan. |
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| The Diceman |
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| The Spinster - Makeup & styling by Marina Maclean. |
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| The Native. |
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| The Vulgarian. |
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| The Matador. |
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| The Artist. |
All photos by Zul Bhatia (my father).
See his Flickr Photostream HERE.
James
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| James Connolly, 8"x12", acrylics and conte chalks, 2012AD. SOLD |
James Connolly was an Irish Socialist and Republican who was born in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh in 1868. From the start, James struggled to make enough money to survive and as a result he decided to enlist in the British Army. These days had a profound effect on his political leanings and a hatred was born in him (for the British Army) that would endure to his last breath. Just before he was due to be posted in India, he deserted the army and the life he had come to loathe. After becoming involved in Scottish Socialist politics, James and his family moved to Dublin where he was to become Secretary of the Dublin Socialist Club. Connolly became increasingly significant in the fight for Irish Independence and was instrumental in the Easter Rising. Connolly was seriously injured during the fighting which took place in that Dublin Spring of 1916. He was said to be very close to death already but the British Army went ahead with his planned execution along with the other rebels. However, unlike the other prisoners - because he was too weak to stand - James was tied to a chair and shot. It was the conviction of his beliefs, not to mention the brutal nature of his death, that have helped the name James Connolly be a name that we have not forgotten.
"They will all forget that I am an Irishman." ~ J. C
The Apparition of Colin
I recently came across this pen and pencil sketch entitled The Apparition of Colin. In it we see the ghost of a lost lover appearing to Colin in a bar. The final painting had a different name and looked nothing like this. I very rarely do initial sketches, preferring to work directly onto the canvas, so this is somewhat of a rarity.
Early Man
Upon the passing of my dear grandmother Winnona, I discovered that she had kept every single drawing and painting that I had ever given her. My mother, similarly, has a vast archive of my childhood artworks. It occurred to me that if one is interested in where an artist ends up, we should also naturally be curious to see where he began. For what is an ending without a beginning? Following, are a small selection of pictures that I made as a boy. It's funny but I think I can even see a little of my current style in them. You may be able to deduce that I was obsessed with birds, particularly birds of prey.
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| A school project about the neanderthals. |
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| The previously unheard of 'Palm Mastodon' and a mother and baby dinosaur/dog. |
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| An Owl-themed feast for the eyes. |
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| For my Nona. |
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| Forgotten coastal vista. |
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| Morbidity came at an early age. |
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| African Crowned Eagles. (one on the nest and one with its Colobus Monkey carrion) |
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| A pair of African Fish Eagles. |
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| My favourite bird of prey of all time, the enigmatic Lammergeier. |
SEASONAL SALES-DRIVE
In this year of 2011 Anno Domini, I call upon you dear reader to turn your back upon the crass surface-culture of our Western Civilization. If, like me, you give material things at this time of year, then why not buy something for those you adore which actually means something? A thing which has not been pumped out on the factory line by means of the grey, soulless, profit-driven grind of mass production. From me you can get something of which there is only one, a thing that wont become obsolete, tiresome, lose its value or break. Arise!
Works and prices can be viewed easily HERE.
Browse the OMARINA online shop HERE.
Contact me at zingaromar@gmail.com if interested in anything.
EVERYTHING MUST GO!
Banded
To be worn round the arm of a jacket, this hand sewn Zingaro piece is available if you should be so bold as to ask for it. I've worn it myself - feels good.
Cargo Collective
For any young whippersnappers out there who are studying and want fast access to what is essentially an image bank of some of my best work...look no further. Omitting out all titles, dimensions, prices and accompanying texts..etc that are a feature of this blog - my Cargo Collective allows you to look at images for an endeavor that academics call 'visual research'.
If you'd like your own page click HERE. They don't just accept any schmuck though, you need to apply.
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| Click on the image to view my page. |
If you'd like your own page click HERE. They don't just accept any schmuck though, you need to apply.
B.F
"The guy that all the men wanted to be and the girls wanted to be with."  |
| Brian Freemantle, 8x12cm, pencil, 1980-2011AD. £40 |
Boots of Burden
Although I claim to be a die-hard anti-consumerist, I have one true hypocrisy, one severe weakness, one despicable vice - Shoes & boots. I am going to share my collection with you. Every pair has a special place in my patent leather heart.
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| Native American-Made Childrens Moccasin. Owned since I was 4yrs old. Enemy of the cowboy boot. |
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| Toddler Cowboy Boots. Owned since I was 4yrs old. Enemy of the Moccasin. |
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| Velveteen Corduroy Slippers. Very very well used. |
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| Nail-Bottom Dress-Shoes. Vintage, over 40yrs old. Picked up in a junk-shop. |
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| Clomper Shoes. I removed the buckles in a fit of distaste. |
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| Polished Patent-Leather Bordello-Creepers. Worn for work as a doorman at the theatre. |
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| Long-Shoes. Clearly fashioned while at Art School. |
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| Suede Brogues. American made, bought in Transylvania. They weigh a ton. |
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| High-Top Winkle-Pickers (Hippy-Kickers). Oh so very Art School. All show, no comfort. |
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| Round-Head Chelsea Boots. Had to cut top open after drunken injury that resulted in massive ankle swelling. |
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| Dealer Boots. Worn exclusively with black denim. |
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| Snakeskin Italos. Fell in love with the shoeshop girl, then the shoes. Florence, 2007. |
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| Rough-Rider Boots. Hiked up the snow-covered Carpathian Mountains in these, sadly they didn't survive. |
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| Army Boots. Almost lost to artist Rich Cormack who took an extreme liking to them. |
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| Soft-Leather Cowboy Boots. My fist pair of adult cowboy boots. Kept for sentimentality's sake. Rest in Peace. |
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| New Mexican Rancher Boots. Re-soled in adoration two times. |
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| Texan Oilman Boots. Have traveled thousands of miles with me, my absolute favourites. |
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| Outback Cowboy Boots. Dingo Brand, savagely hard Cuban heels for that tough Aussie terrain. |
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| Vintage Motorcycle Boots. Huge, heavy and top-quality. I feel like an outlaw in them. c1970's. |
a ZINGARO COLLECTION | 2011
OMARINA {dot} COM
For those of you who haven't yet seen the fruits of OMARINA, click the first picture...
The Cult of Omarina - a Film by O/Z/B + M/M - COMING SOON.
New Clothing Micro-Collection also............COMING SOON!
...and for those kool-catz who are aware of it but want to be reminded of the glorious exclusives we have in our store, click this one:
New Clothing Micro-Collection also............COMING SOON!
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