So anyways, despite tough times for all, us artists continue to make expensive art for everyone to look at for all of thirteen seconds.
We can all do that at this years Moniker Art Fair, starting on the 13th october at the Village Underground in Shoreditch, London.

Featuring a host of creative dudes and dudettes showing off their artistic wares, this should be a quite fun and inspiring to all…….especially as old grumpy buttocks me will be there,
On the sunday, (the 16th) I will be doing one of my art workshops so the kids can do some painty spashes and the adults can get mucky too

moniker-invite-priva2dfeac

So, I’ve been on a wee hiatus, keeping the fuck out of the spot, no stupid thursday private views and other bla de bla type shindigs…..the reality is though, little old me has been experiencing the horror ailment that is, ‘Crisis of confidence syndrome’
No ones listening, No interest in the work, what am I going to do, shit shit shit, Recession, bills, pressure…….wow, the world that we artists live in, the roller coster career…..dark and light, rough and smooth.
It is the way things seemingly have to be, who wants life to always make sense, to be nice and un troubled?…well I do, but I’m quite aware that the way I wish to apply myself, how i see myself as a creative person, it ain’t going to be a simple path I tread.

The annoying integrity crap I hold myself too means that I cant really travel down roads that I feel compromise what I believe in as a person.
“Matt mate times are tough, stop painting pictures of moody nig nogs, do some nice landscapes, that will sell, paint some celebrities, people always want pictures of the rich and famous on their walls…..it’s miserable out there, stop with the moody shit”

And so the dilemma is there, that age old artist one. listen to others, sell out, do what you have to do, use your talent to get something, anything in the pocket……short term process, fuck the long game, throw all that has been worked on, on the fire, produce some shoddy shit that you don’t give a crap about and then what? no one buys that crap either, because it’s just that, crap, crap that isn’t even your own crap…….but you have made it and like crap, it sticks to you, it’s smelly and says that you stink because you decided to be a weak ass motherfucker.
I cant go down that road, Im looking at the long winding road, the pain in the arse route.
But I don’t want to be the stiff blade of grass, the specialist animal that can’t adapt. I will always make sure I keep diversifying, keep playing, keep pushing what I do but never compromising, never looking at weak easy routes because that isn’t me,

So anyway, no ones listening, no one cares, things are tough, boo hoo. sob sob. No worries, we stand tall, keep producing quality work, if no ones out there giving a shit, well thats the way it’s gotta be for the moment, theres always light at the end of the damn tunnel, thats for sure.

Wether or not I post much more on this website is another matter.

Hello, my name is Matthew Small, I am a artist and I have a piece of my work in a group show at the Underdog gallery this thursday.
The gallery is in south London so it could be dangerous if you do come……

Last saturday, the saturday where it rained and rained, Black Rat Projects had a summer party.
After living in england since my conception I think I’m fully aware that no one should ever decide to have a summer party in this country and expect to have gloriously summerishy weather to grace their summer type party.
The day though was rather lovely as I was asked to conduct an art workshop for the little young people of this world.
People braved the weather bringing their soggy kids with them and we all had artistic fun.
I”ve done art workshops quite a few times with children, there always hectic affairs and this was no exception, but they are always rewarding.

It’s nice when a gallery does things different, where the emphasis isn’t just on being a place where art is sold, but where the space can be used to get adults and kids interacting, being creative and understanding how much fun is had from being arty without the farty.

Well done to MIkey bad boy for allowing it to happen and to all the peeps at the gallery that helped make a wonderfully wet day wonderfully lovely.

I have just set up my tumblr website, it’s nice and easy and cheap and cheerful and will feature my normal rants and images I cant squeeze on this site.
And because I want to be down with the kids, and get the attention of all the street art loving art buyers again, I thought I would use a cool street arty name to get me back in the game….”yo yo yo I’m a street artist now with a cool street name, I swear down, my art is proper sick blood”
now my career will really get going, hooray….
damn whats that you say?, the street art hype bubble burst? I cant just put some stencils up on the street and make money off the imminent print release…. noooooooooooooooo!!!!!
It’s all over for me…boo hoo…
Any ways check out Matty Midgets my other place on the World Wide Web, and by the way, I haven’t really got the content sorted yet
so actually…maybe don’t bother checking out the place for a few weeks, then I’ll have everything fixed properly

I might go on like a self righteous, pompous old wanker some times (all the time)… but In reality I am actually a rather debauched and deviant minded, freaky deaky kind of guy.
For evidence of this check out a short animated piece I did a few years ago. It was a collaboration with a young lady called Monika who was and is still a rather debauched and deviant minded kind of lass……….She’s Swedish you see…….
Walkyland is the spot to find all manner of artistic merriness and filth of course.

The greatest love story ever told and this animation managed to receive a ton of complaints after it was screened before the 9pm watershed a few years back.he he he

Seeing the individual within, realising we are all unique and cannot simply be stereotyped and pigeon holed is very annoying, it means you cannot dismiss others out right before you have bothered to take time to see them.

Knowing that that drugged up piss head is not really a drugged up piss head but someone who has battled through depression all his life, been abused as a kid and as an adult and has found coping with life just a little to much of a hard thing to do…..
thats hard work for us to do……
It’s much easier for us to say ‘He’s just a drugged up piss head’…

The charity SHP works to give support to the people in our society that are in vulnerable situations be that homelessness, mental health issues, drink and drug problems or all of the above…..and with the demon government cutting services to all those that really need help with all that austerity bollocks, the work SHP does becomes more and more important in giving life lines to all in need

SHP have compiled a few of the stories of the people they support, all of them need to be heard, but I know thats damn hard for us to do……but hey..if we do listen we can maybe learn to grow out of our self imposed enclosures, see the world outside of our own boxes.
Awareness of others thats not a bad thing is it???

Heres the official blurb and an one of the stories

When people face social exclusion, their stories often go untold if no-one takes the time to hear them. SHP worked with volunteers from the Guardian to interview clients, asking the same kind of questions as the Observer uses in celebrity ‘This Much I Know’ interviews.

SHP kept this going and named the project ‘If You Ask Me’ - because fascinating and moving individual stories emerged in every single case, and we would never have heard them if we hadn’t asked.

CALEB

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut.

Sometimes you have a group of friends and it turns into a gang without you noticing.

The last time I cried was at my friend’s funeral. I always think that it’s my fault that he died. I chose to stay out of a situation which had kicked off again, because the first time it took a lot for me to calm it down. My friend, who wasn’t involved, wound up getting stabbed on his doorstep. He lived literally two minutes away from the hospital and the ambulance took 30 minutes to come, only to pronounce him dead. I think it’s appalling but that’s just me trying to use them as a scapegoat because I could’ve stopped it.

Carrying a knife used to make me feel safe. But it made me feel paranoid because I thought if I’ve got a knife who else has got a knife?

I’ve noticed that when people die at a young age, it’s mostly to do with stupidity – pride, holding face, money, drugs, but not even serious drugs or serious money, basically disrespect.

Being involved in conflict turns into your life when you hit 18 and up. You have to start fending for yourself, you realise you’re no longer doing it for a joke, but to stay alive.

What made me want to change was the fact that my life was meaningless. All that time I always knew at the back of my head I didn’t want to do this, but I needed a kick.

My family and friends came around when I was in hospital after I got shot and they were just distraught. When I thought about my life and the dreams I had, and how it had gone so far away from that, that’s what gave me the kick to change.

My dream now is to be an English teacher and teach in a secondary school. Even if all I can do is make a difference to one student then I’ll be happy.

My personal motto is everyday above the ground is a good day. Whatever happens, happens, but I just appreciate every day when I wake up.

My drug of choice is love. I think that’s a drug. If it’s not a drug then something is wrong with me.

I would describe myself as very much like an onion.

I’m proud of my little brother. I always tell him I made enough mistakes for the both of us so you don’t need to make any more mistakes and he’s taken that on board very well.

The fact that I say I want to do things for people and don’t do it makes me sad, because there are a lot of people that deserve something from me and I don’t give it to them. I think that is the curse of not getting round to it.

I definitely wouldn’t start my life again because it would take too long.

The thing you should always carry with you is your dignity.

I haven’t found out who I am yet but I’m close. Every time I think I found out who I am, I discover something else. What you have to do is have a gentle blend of all those different people that you are to make one person.

Black Rat Projects would like to invite you to our Summer Party. On Saturday July 16th during the day we are teaming up with Cargo club next door whose expert chefs will cook up a bbq for BRP’s guests. This is a day for all the family: Matt Small will be doing one of his legendary workshops for the younger audience (if there’s space grown-ups can join in too…). To book for your kids email becca@blackrat.com with an optional £10 donation to ZAMCOG charity.

The day will mark the release of Lucas Price’s new print “Telepathic Heights”. The new edition (each one is uniquely hand coloured) will be hung among works by BRP friends, new and old, including: Swoon, Matt Small, Giles Walker, Candice Tripp, ROA and Brian Dettmer. Best Ever and Barcelona based artist Ruben Sanchez will be painting live on walls nearby.

The show will be a review of this year’s projects, and an ode to the artists who have made the space what it is, as well as a look forward to future projects as we welcome ROA, Candice Tripp and Brian Dettmer into the fold.

Join BRP as we celebrate summer on Saturday July 16th from 2-5pm! Invites will be sent out this week

Best wishes,
BRP

Black Rat Projects
thru cargo garden
arch 461
83 rivington street
London
EC2A 3AY

Untold stories, there are many of them on this planet and most of us are all too happy not to hear them, why? we get uncomfortable when certain peoples lives are exposed to us, the stories are too raw, too real, too human. If we listen, then we have to acknowledge these people, we have to see them……
We’d much rather hear about those celebrities and their bolloxy garb, footballers shagging around, royal bods getting married bla, bla, bla…..anything to keep us living in our fools paradise.
The closest we get to taking in reality is bloody Eastenders, middle England’s tailored view of real life, Made by middle england for middle England.
When the media does shows us real life ,it invariably revolves around cliche stereotypes that become the cement we use to solidify the negative opinions of people different to ourselves.
Those dumb arse chavs can be happily ridiculed, black people can be feared, people with mental health problems stigmatized,
We read the Daily mail or the sun newspaper when we want some reality, nasty, spiteful hate filled reality, the negative miserable reality that helps us to dismiss and dehumanize others……

Anyways, I’m doing the Matty Smalls Babble, What matters here is that the SHP charity has a art show coming up
The lovely jubbly Rob Data who is one of the artists that gives his time up, has got the guys that attend the SHP art work shops to express artistically there life experiences.

real art made by real people, with real Experiences that should be listened too
and it starts next thursday………at the Together Our Space Gallery 12 old street EC1V