Ken Gerleve
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Industry | Arts |
| Occupation | Book Artist/Student |
| Location | Chicago, IL, United States |
| Introduction | Ken Gerleve – The Plush Pink Prognosticator Ken Gerleve is a contradiction. He aspires to be one of those eccentric, arm-chair anthropologist types, all into secret societies, ancient cultures, and cheap mystery novels with paperback covers. At the same time, he loves late 70's/early 80's popular culture–the clothes, the music, the hairstyles! His illustration work—often turgid and darkly humorous—draws on the graphic symbolism of 16th,-19th Century engravings, paintings and domestic arts, distilled through a post-modernist filter. His interests also include felt puppets, synthesizers, Freemasons and Ouija boards. He is currently writing and illustrating a serialised Gothic Mystery novel, and his illustration work has featured in previous issues of Pistil Magazine. During the rest of his free-time, he talks about making music for the new wave band 'Osiris Machine,' the best band you've never yet heard. |
| Interests | Analogue Synthesizers, Britain, Art, History, Ancient Cultures, Ancient Egypt, Mythology, Puppets, Golems, Conspiracy Theories, <b>80's New Wave</b>, Flea Markets, Writing, Languages, Children's Lit, Graphic Design, <b>Book Design: Printing and Book Binding</b>, the <b>United Kingdom</b>, Cats, Dogs, Horses, Cooking Vegan Food, Russian Constructivist Propaganda Art, Scandinavians, Indie/Experimental Music, <b>Analogue Synthesizers</b>, Animation, Used Book Stores, Vintage Textiles and Wallpaper, Anglo-American School Portraits, Modernist Art/Design, Ouija Boards and Ghost Stories. |
| Favorite Movies | Horror, some Sci-fi and Fantasy. Mysteries. Gothic, Repulsion, the Wickerman, Shaun of the Dead, the Hobbit (animated), LOTR, Conan the Barbarian, the Last Unicorn, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, the Yellow Submarine, Female Trouble, Elvira-Mistress of the Dark, Nightmare on Elm Street, Time Bandits, Billy Elliot, Beautiful Thing, the Dark Crystal, A Clockwork Orange, Tron, the Exorcism of Emily Rose... B-grade Horror Movies, Mysteries, Animated fillums. Jan Svankmejer, Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton, etc. |
| Favorite Music | Osiris Machine, Depeche Mode, Recoil, Goldfrapp, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Soft Cell, Cut Copy, The Presets, the Knife, Senor Coconut, Cibo Matto, PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Blur, Broadcast, Kraftwerk, Massive Attack, Portishead, Stereolab, Radiohead, Pulp, Placebo, Divine Comedy, Primal Scream, early Eurythmics and Human League, Ultravox, Visage, White Rose Movement. I also like the Ark, the Arcade Fire, Add N To (X), Client, Ladytron, Appliance, Echoboy, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, Apples In Stereo, Berlin, Broadcast, Cerrone, Wendy Carlos, Jean Jacques Perrey, Cat Power, Bo Hansson, Autechre, Boards of Canada, Antony and the Johnsons, Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man, The Black Heart Procession, Cocteau Twins, The Cure, Doves, Editors, Mr. Oizo, Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop, Sparks, Stars, Pat Benatar, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Lene Lovich, T-Rex (with Marc Bolan of course)... uggh, the list could go on forever... |
| Favorite Books | I have too many books, and most are non fiction/reference books or art books. Recent reads: The Lovely Bones, The Spiritualist, Lolita, Alice In Wonderland, The Turn of the Screw, The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, The Club Dumas, The Diary of Charles Altamont Doyle, all of the Gaylord Phoenix books, Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs..., His Dark Materials Trilogy, Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings, The Ladies of Grace Adieu, everything Edward Gorey ever made, books illustrated by Harry Clarke, Lisbeth Zwerger, Aubrey Beardsley. I love those weird picture-encyclopedia books on History, Folklore, ESP and the Occult from the 70's and 80's. I also have many books written in languages I will probably never learn. |
What is your favourite cat's name?