FOURTEEN - DnB, Die Brucke and Van Morrison

~ FOURTEEN ~

Before I met the Aussie I seemed to be in a phase where I was collecting platonic male friends. I always preferred the company of men over women; I find them less intrusive on my privacy, less demanding of my time and attention. That's the self-centred Aries talking. When I first met Kornell he was wearing short pants, dress shoes and a crisp white shirt. He was covered in tattoos and had multiple facial piercings. He had just arrived from British Columbia and was staying with friends in Taipei.

Kornell could energize a room. His limbs were all rubber and liquid as he danced, lost in his own little world of beats and melodies. He could hear common rhythms and mix them together to create his own original compositions. Symphony merged with the theme from Definition. It was the music of a half generation younger than me, from different circles of influence and upbringing. I liked it, in small doses. I found if you listened too long, you ended up in a trance-like state. At the end of the summer Joel had an art show at his apartment and Kornell was asked to provide the soundtrack.

The Back Room' art show: see the work of Tim Joel

2003/8/2Diana Leeson, TAIPEI, Taiwan, Special to The China Post

The Van Morrison song 'The Back Room' refers to the laid back, voyeuristic lifestyle of the artist musician who takes inspiration from all that he observes.

Come to The Back Room art show on Saturday, August 2, at the home studio of Tim Nathan Joel, and see his work inspired by extensive travel, life experience, and nature.

Joel's artistic influences include Matisse, Picasso and the group of artists known as Die Brucke, but he admits that his work is "completely autobiographical". There is a story behind every painting, and this private art show is an opportunity for art lovers and artists alike to get the inside scoop on those bright, symbolic and sometimes shocking images.

Joel's Fujin street rooftop apartment in the Minsheng East Road district will be transformed on Saturday into The Back Room, a magical atmosphere where guests will groove to the background beats of DJ Phifty Phive from Kelowna, B.C., enjoy some light refreshments and soak in all of the energy that emanates from the powerful art in the room.

This ex-pat British artist has been captivated by Southeast Asia with her sun drenched beaches, lush jungles and beautiful native people. He found a peace that he had never known before when he discovered the island of Koh Samui in Thailand, a place that he now considers his "soul's home". He began writing poetry while staying on the island in 1992, and first started painting at Whitesands on Lamai Beach in 2000.

"My dream is to be able to do what I love, and to live on the money from that. It's pretty simple," Joel explains. He plans to return to Thailand and to open a gallery someday but in the near future he will continue to travel and promote his art both in Taiwan and abroad. Joel is also hoping to start an after-school art club for young artists while he is in Taipei.

Previous successful shows at the Citizen Cain and Saloon bars are making Joel somewhat of a household name in Taipei City. His art is gaining international attention as well. An upcoming North American tour will no doubt add a whole new perspective to the burgeoning career of this busy young artist. Serious art enthusiasts are welcome to attend this private party. For more information check out: www.joeljoel.com.

We sat on cushions on the floor and sipped Tiger beer from Singapore as Joel told us the story behind each painting. A row of perfect green apples floated in an illuminated fish tank, devoid of fish.

Kornell had a past shaded with some sort of emotional or chemical problems, but I didn’t ask - everyone I met in Taipei seemed to be there to escape something. The details weren’t important; there was solidarity in our escapism.

One night Kornell’s text woke me up. “You have to go out on the roof and look at the moon,” it read. He often called me in the middle of the night, a nocturnal creature who suffered from insomnia. After a few protests I obliged because he had my curiosity piqued. I flipped on the light and exposed a party of geckos on the ceiling directly over my head. So that’s what happens when the lights are out. I climbed up the stairs to the rooftop, still wondering what would happen if the suction on the lizards’ little green feet gave out and they fell down to land on my face during the night.

Then I saw the moon. It had two rings around it. One appeared to be purple, the other reddish orange. A haze much like the northern lights but more likely comprising smog and other gases streaked out from the moon like a sunburst. I immediately wondered what the same moon looked like on the other side of the world. But then, on the other side of the world, it was two in the afternoon. I turned my phone on silent and went back to bed, but I didn’t sleep.