The Center of The Universe

I have seen the center of the universe, and it is covered with artwork depicting nature and history, sounds of psychedelic rock music, smells of delicious Thai food, and is located in sweet Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Best word to describe the art gallery / Thai food restaurant named Hanuman Express--nicknamed as 'The Center of The Universe'--is mind-expanding. It is a place that will not only impact you artistically, but also philosophically. It is also a place of sociological expression for 'a 20th century born Socrates'.

Artist, philosopher, and Hanuman co-owner, Mark Mercer [in self-portrait above with his wife, Phokam], and I spoke earlier in January about his life and work through a Q&A. Enjoy.

What is the idea behind Hanuman Express?

The idea behind Hanuman. Express is when we go in business with no money. We have to work hard like four arms monkey. HANUMAN was the general in the army or warrior in the novel in India and famous in Thailand too. And 'UBU' is the different thing. UBU We support local artists and musicians. IT'S FUN WITHOUT THE STINK OF AUTHORITY ON IT. UBU MEANS you....be.....you. Who tells you that?

Where are you from? I am a son of an army ranger who served with distinction in world war two. I was born in Monsanto, Illinois next to the chemical plant of the same name. Monsanto, its dumps, rail yards, dead creek, and a curiously large hole in the ground is where we played. I have lived in St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and various towns in Missouri but a chemical plant still smells like Christmas to me.

What got you into art? I was doing so well in science at the big city high school that my teachers were scouting college scholarships for me. Then my grandfather died and my father deployed me to the wilderness of South East Missouri to take care of my grandmother. The school there just passed illiterate students to the next grade. It had a library about the size of my bedroom. I read most of the art books in it and learned that artists are allowed a wide range of behavior in order to explore, record and comment on the universe. In the solitude of the ignorant backwoods I began to see.

What got you into painting? My father thought that there is nothing more worthless than an artist, except maybe a poet. Painting was the best way to prove him wrong by making money. My first studio was in the chicken house where I developed my illustration and lettering skills. I was very passionate about painting and worked hard. Talent is a lie for those who never loved something enough to get good at it.

Did you go to school for art? I read in the newspaper that I had been awarded a 100 dollar scholarship to the local college from my church so I got a 1600 dollar student loan and enjoyed 3 semesters of sex, drugs, rock n roll and revolution. I dominated every art class I was ever in. My art teacher told me to do whatever I wanted and I would always get an A. I then fell in love with an affluent girl. The street in Monsanto that I grew up on was named for her uncle. I was just playing in college and needed money for courting so I took an apprenticeship at a sign company. It was much more competitive than college. The more you learned the more you got to learn. After I surpassed the master, I moved on to the next shop and master. Like a gunfighter I would draw my quill and leave the other apprentices bleeding in the dust.

Do you have a favorite art period? It depends on what you mean by art period. If you mean art movements, I like pop art, magic realists, impressionism, 14th century European and the Italian renaissance. If you mean time period I would say the iconoclastic wars when artists were maimed and killed to keep them from making graven images. Art was protected, artists persisted in making art with broken hands and a new view of what art is and its place in civilization was born.

What themes do you pursue in your artwork? If it’s a commercial piece then moving the merchandise is the theme. I study the environment of the location then design something that will grab them by the eyeballs and pull them into the parking lot. As for art for art’s sake, I try to illustrate the beauty of my life and times, the beauty of ordinary things. A photograph can only show what is, a painting is seeing over time and through experience showing what it felt like to be there. I deal with order and chaos in my landscapes, the order of farming for example, and the chaos of nature. I make graphic statements about the culture and have done some religious work. I enjoy painting female nudes because women are the most beautiful thing in existence.

How did you meet your wife, Phokam?

I was painting my father's house when he walked up and asked me to take care of my mother after he died. I said sure. Three hours later he was dead. He had decided to let the heart attack he was having kill him. Mom had Alzheimer's and would often say, "Mark you need to get us a wife." I knew I wasn't fooling any woman into the situation I was in. Then my brother's wife who is from Thailand said her sister, Phokam, would marry me. She had a Bachelor's degree in English and was anxious to come to America. So I met her shortly before we got married in Thailand. It has worked out great. Get married first, then date. Together we took care of mom until she died.

How has she affected your artwork? I am a happy man. I have a lot to be unhappy about. If not for her I would be expressing my unhappiness in my art. I would do idiot things like art terrorism where me and my minions would color the world when it least expects it. Walking into Walmart and painting a motherfucker blue for example. One of my many pet names for her is the satisfaction. Her sweet love keeps me and my art positive.

How has your practice changed over time? This is not the world I was born into. People seem to have a remarkable ability to accept change. We are experiencing change at an unprecedented rate. People expect change and embrace it with no thought of what has been lost. About the time I was becoming a master, new technology made production artists obsolete. I took a John Henry stand. Before I let the machine beat me I'll die with my brush in my hand. This has led to more freedom to pursue the muse and laughable poverty. When I was gainfully employed I had to produce a saleable image as quickly as possible. I can now make more complex images using more time consuming techniques. Something instead of nothing for no good reason.

What was the last art piece you did? I work on several pieces at a time; so, it’s hard to say what the last one was. I recently finished a six foot half round painting titled 'existence.com\love'. It is a second version of a painting that was stolen. I had intended to try Leonardo’s smoke technique but quickly realized that applying dozens of glazes was why Leonardo finished very few paintings. I applied modern color theory to the process and achieved a legitimate piece in about 6 months.

What was the idea behind it? Most of my friends are under 30 so I get asked about love a lot. The painting shows a man, a woman and 2 snakes made of clouds playing a game with balls in a fantasy landscape. We can't know the rules or how the game is won. Love has always been difficult. In our brave New world it has become positively brutal. The children are having so much cheap sex that they are having a hard time pair bonding. I tell the girls to demand love and respect. I tell the boys that a woman's love is a responsibility. It is the easiest thing in the world to love, it is good for you.

What role does the artist have in society? Essentially, society is art. The artists role has always been to record and comment on the universe. The anti-Christ Warhol's prophecy that in the future everyone will be artists has come to pass. Images were once rare. We now view and dispose of thousands of images a day. The era of the great artiste may be over. We are all artists now, some of us just work harder at it than others.

What memorable responses have you had to your work? I used to work live in public. This was common but now people rarely get to see artists at work. I don't take praise well and I have suffered many ignorant comments. "Must take a lot of patience to do that" was the worst. No, I must meet the master’s deadline so confidence is what’s needed. I got so much praise for my work at six flags that I asked my fellow workers to stop. "Looks like shit" they would say as they walked by. "Thank you" I would reply. One day I was painting a very stereotypical Mexican scene. A fellow stopped, looked and said "kinda looks like Norway."

What’s the best piece of advice you've been given? I've taken a lot of advice from the great people of the world, Frank Zappa, Mark twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Socrates, Sappho, Siddhartha, and one God, Jesus Christ. My father once told me to "lead don't follow". I asked him "What if no one follows me?" and "You will still be leading" he replied. This is great advice for artists. People don't know what they want, it is the artist’s job to show them. My father also advised "never underestimate what you can do with a bag of runny shit"

What advice would you give to students? Give up. We are dead media zombies now. Art is dead. The best you can do is put a flower on the grave. If you will not give up then make your work clearly speak your message. Your work should not be open to interpretation. Read and learn, artists must know everything to communicate effectively. Work in permanent materials so the future can share your vision. Your work should pass the barbarian test. Everyone should recognize your work as something unique to be preserved. The universe is validated by our perception of it. This makes you a high priest of existence. Being a co-creator with God is the best possible existence.

It is definitely a unique and thought-provoking experience. Whenever you're in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, feel free to stop by Hanuman Express and embrace the simple life with Mark and Phokam Mercer.

-MASR

#art #history #food #culture #philosophy