In an unknown location, an underground facility of unknown size, situated an unknown distance below the surface of the Earth is being readied to house the world’s elite when the shit hits the fan. Some say it’s the size of London, the only access is a secret hatch in the back room of a Wigan pie shop. Others whisper it’s merely the size of a small petting zoo, situated a mile below an allotment in Margate; the only access through a fake potting shed.
This underground facility is known simply as The Bunker, and the people behind (or rather, inside), The Bunker are making a list. A list of people they want inside and safe for when the milk turns sour and this little planet of ours decides to rid itself of the human race. Much like a dog shaking itself of fleas.
On the list this week is non other than the incredible artist and master craftsman, Kris Kuksi. Spending much of his youth in seclusion, isolated in rural Kansas, his imagination would become his savior from the trials of what seems like a difficult home environment. An introverted individual, Kris breathes life into the darkest, yet most beautiful of arts.
Recurring themes of death, war, gods and monsters are constant in his sculptures, which to me have become much more than pieces of art. Each sculpture is alive, dust and damnation rattling around the ancient lungs hidden behind the breathtaking detail.
Like many of the other artists that have inspired me for years, Kris is a nonconformist. He stays true to himself and true to his vision, no matter how grotesque that vision may appear to others. And I’m sure it’s this lack of fear to walk his own path that has granted him access into The Bunker.
You know the drill folks. Kris has been allowed 10 items, space inside The Bunker is limited. Here’s what he requested.
TB: We can allow you access to 1 music video. What will it be?
KK: Beck’s New Pollution.
TB: There is room on the wall for 1 piece of art. What would you like?
KK: Bouguereau’s Evening Mood.
TB: There is a small bookshelf with room for 1 book. What will it be?
KK: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
You’re allowed 1 film. What will you watch?
KK: THX 1138
TB: There are bunk beds inside the room. Who gets the other bed, and which bunk would you like?
KK: The one on the bottom for me.
TB: You’re allowed 1 small treasured item. What is it?
KK: A bird fetus I have in a small jar since I was 17.
TB: We’ve managed to get you a CD player. What album would you like?
KK: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring
TB: We are willing to cook you 1 meal of your choice on your first night in The Bunker. What would you like?
KK: Grilled Salmon with a side of fresh vegetables and creamed corn. And some modest red wine.
TB: All inhabitants of The Bunker MUST have their memories of Old Earth erased. However, we will allow you a single memory of your old life. What will it be?
KK: When I was 9 and my grandmother would take me for walks along the Arkansas river.
TB: We can project a view of your choice onto the Window Screen. What would you like to look at?
KK: Japanese snow monkeys relaxing in a hot spring.
Thank you for your co-operation. We will do our best to satisfy your needs and we wish you a pleasant stay in The Bunker.
The Bunker Administration Team.
You can check out all of Kris’s work at http://kuksi.com and you can pre-order his new book Divination And Delusion by clicking HERE. It’s certainly going to be a welcomed addition to my already freakishly dark bookshelf.
Check back next Friday when we’ll have news of another brand new Bunker applicant.
I made this illustration today, based on ancient Sumerian statues of the the Mesopotamian Goddess Ereshkigal. She was the ruler of the Underworld, Queen of the dead and obviously right up my street.
She’ll eventually be a central part to a larger piece that will be used in a future project, but I’ll tell you more about that later 
Here’s an actual relief of Erishkigal that I used as reference. I decided to ditch her 2 owls for the moment, but will hopefully be able to squeeze them into the final piece, simply because owls rule.
I’ve always loved the statue of Pazuzu, the Babylonian King of the Demons of the Wind; more famously known from the The Exorcist movies as the demon who crawled into Regan, making her get personally aquainted with a crucifix and vomit pea soup.
I used his upper wings as reference instead of the wings on the original relief. Having them raised seems more confrontational as well as increasing her overall size and making more impact.
To celebrate the 1st birthday of the awesome Breaks Of 10 website, they agreed to curate this weeks Trailer Trash. Unlike a typical 1 year old, this charming baby of a site decided that crawling was for…well…babies, and so decided to skip that stage of it’s development to give running a go. It’s been running at full speed since day one and hasn’t banged it’s head yet.
Going from strength to strength, Breaks Of 10 showcase inspirational talent from across the globe, whether it be art, music, fashion or photography. Offering exclusive mixtapes by guest DJ’s, interviews and other downloadable content, the site is definitely one to bookmark. The effort put into the photography throughout the site is a personal highlight.
So without further ado, here’s this weeks TRAILER TRASH courtesy of Breaks Of 10.
‘Tarantino’s testament to the martial arts genre that captured my imagination through my early teens. Lovely references to some of my favourite kung fu movies, amazing soundtrack, and cast to match. Not to mention this was hyped as the 4th film from the man himself. Couldn’t wait to catch the flick at the cinema. Awesome popcorn movie start to finish, and what makes it all the better… there was vol.2.’
‘And then simply because its an amazing trailer…’
‘How can you not want to see this movie after this trailer. Job done!’
So here we have it. Information on the first resident of The Bunker, mastery of skullduggery and east end gangster No1, Mysterious Al.
I first met Al around 8 years ago when I was invited to put some work into one of the awesome Finders Keepers shows that he organized alongside fellow creative juggernauts D-Face, PMH and Dave the Chimp. It was a big moment for me being the first show I’d ever had work in, and I got chance to meet the artists that inspired me to start painting in the first place. Since then, his instantly recognizable mutants have appeared in countless books, art shows worldwide, on Eastpak backpacks, skateboards, Adidas trainers, Volvo ads but more importantly, walls. Beautiful, non profitable, outdoor walls. Read More
Ladies and gentlemen, I have some breaking news. I have discovered the existence of a top secret underground facility known as…The Bunker! Situated 2 miles below the surface of the Earth, this government run facility is intended to house and protect Earth’s elite when the shit goes down, and I fear that one day very soon, it will go down…
I’m afraid the likes of you and I will have to fight it out on the surface when Judgment Day comes, but the cream of the crop will be safe and sound down there, waiting for the terrible inconvenience to blow over whilst sipping on a nice mug of tea.
My sources tell me that every Friday, a committee from The Bunker select an individual to take up residency within the facility in the event of an End Of World scenario. An individual who will be of great benefit to the rebuilding of humanity, an individual who can carry the torch, lead the way, and hopefully have no trouble with their bowels.
I luckily have a man on the inside who is willing to risk his balls by leaking any classified documents he can get his hands on. So whenever I hear from him, you’ll hear from me.
Until then, I bid ye farewell.
E.
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