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Out of the cultural wasteland that is central Pennsylvania rises the many-headed monster known to the world as ARTPIG INTERNATIONAL. ARTPIG functions primarily as an outlet for the peculiar outpourings of the troubled psyches of Robert L. Brown and Jonathan Mertz, expressing themselves in the realms of audio and video. The world's reaction to their earliest works is best summed up in the title of their short film "What Are These Assholes Trying To Prove?" Undeterred by rejection and hostility, indeed perversely pleased with themselves, the duo continued to mine the same sick vein until one of their like-minded sociopathic friends said, "You'uns oughta sell this shit." ARTPIG was born.
From ARTPIG production 'Feast of the Dead' In the realm of the visual arts, Messrs. Brown and Mertz work both separately and as part of a team, taking turns writing, directing, and acting in underground masterpieces of varying lengths. Several hallmarks stand out as the artists' signatures: their view of life as a random and meaningless mess; and the total destruction of their hometown, Mifflintown. The latter takes place in several of their major works--notably "The Cow Movie" and "Man Jailed For Painting Zoo Animals Orange," as well as in "Are We Really Waiting For Jesus?" and the epic "I Believe." A seasoned cast of regulars prominently features hot new sexy action hero Timothy B. Hosler. William Daniel Daup, an accomplished film-maker decades before he was corrupted by ARTPIG, recently returned to writing and directing with the disturbing Bill Daup's "P". The vivacious and talented Marc Auker did the same with 1997's sequel, "P2." Musically, ARTPIG INTERNATIONAL serves as a purveyor of creations which fail to fit into any recognizeable pigeonhole: Mr. Brown's mutated ragtime masterpieces; Mr. Mertz's twisted work with Das Ubermensch; and the two working together with a loose affiliation of cohorts (including Hosler, Daup and Auker) known as the Squirtin' Murphys. Inane and insane compilation tapes of rummage sale records and goodwill store goodies are also available from the ARTPIG Audio Emporium. Visionary, anti-social, weird, nihilistic, hilarious and occasionally thought-provoking, ARTPIG is dedicated to destroying the world of the bland normals who dog their every step in the uncertain journey toward total artistic freedom and the pure expression of the awful beauty and magnificent ugliness which characterizes modern life. "Death to the Pot Pie People!" shall be the rallying cry in ARTPIG's New World Order. Will you join the growing ranks of the true believers? Or will you be trampled in the mud like the miserable souls whose ossified brains couldn't adjust to the new aesthetic? Decide now, O son of man, before we decide for you! About the Auteurs: Robert L. Brown  Known in film school as "that damned neo-dadaist Brown"; prolific composer whose singular style blends such diverse elements as Kurt Weill, Willie "The Lion" Smith, John Philip Sousa, Jelly Roll Morton, high school marching bands and Thelonius Monk into a unique and original voice; performer whose recorded works include "City of Bone -- The Doomed Love of Nick Adams" and "Kumi Mizuno" and the critically acclaimed "Apotheosis of Ed D. Wood Jr."; author of countless "Smart-Alecky Tales of the Tri-County Area"; icono-clastic film-maker whose directorial efforts include "The Cow Movie", "Elvis:The After-life:The Evidence", and most recently "Feast of the Dead"; archivist and host of the Dumb Dances video series; co-director of "Man Jailed For Painting Zoo Animals Orange" and "Nixuernica (How American?)"; master thespian whose screen presence graces many of ARTPIG's film offerings. Click above to see a video clip of Robert Brown in an ARTPIG production. Jonathan Mertz  Former bassist in ground-breaking punk shouldabeens Friction; surrealist painter of note; self-proclaimed illegitimate son of William Burroughs; Mifflintown's foremost practicioner of the Burroughs/ Gyson cut-up method of writing, com-posing, painting and filmmaking; author of "Horrifying Zombie Cubism," a cut-up novella which is being set to music by his mysterious psychofunkapocalpso combo Das Ubermensch; maker of such pretentious angst-ridden artfilms as "White Woman (1 & 2)", "Church of Formaldehyde", "The Apostle John in a Time Machine", and "The American Trilogy"; co-director (with Brown) of two thirds of "The Artpig Trilogy." Recently performed with The Imperial Orgy at Cafe 210, and read his sick poetry at Maxwell's in Hoboken. Once shook hands with Muddy Waters. For a free catalog email Jon Mertz Click here to read a selection of poetry by Jon Mertz Return |
