Chris O’Doherty aka Reg Mombassa is a New Zealand born Australian musician and artist. He is known for his membership in bands Mental as Anything, Dog Trumpet and The Pinks.
He worked with Mambo Graphics designing T-shirts and posters from 1986; exhibited paintings, drawings and prints at Watters Gallery from 1975 to 2018; and his work can be found in galleries and private collections throughout the world.
Chris's artwork comes in two distinctive styles. The type of artwork he designed for Mambo – vivid graphic images, incorporating religious, political and popular culture themes – is probably the style he is most widely known for. However his landscapes and portraits, many of which are inspired by his childhood in New Zealand, are equally sought after.
His designs were famously featured in the closing ceremony for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. That’s when the world became very confused.
In a prerecorded talk made for TEDxSydney in 2020 entitled “Why I became an artist", Chris discussed what it is to be an artist. Watch that video HERE; but, in summary, here are his “Nine Descriptors” … followed by an extracted quote:
Beggar
“We are beggars because we beg for crumbs from the rich man’s table, or try and get our snouts into the public trough in terms of grants, scholarships or juicy academic postings.”
Prostitute
“We are prostitutes because we expose our most private thoughts, feelings and spiritual contemplations for money or favourable attention.”
Liar
“To become an artist, I learned to lie and exaggerate. The trick with lying is that lies and exaggeration allow me to get closer to the truth.”
Thief
“We are thieves because we steal the ideas and methods of our contemporaries and forebears. It’s a great way of learning. Without stealing, nothing new would be done.”
Parasite
“Artists are parasites, because art is a luxury. You can’t eat it, drive in it, or live in it. We sponge off the mainstream.”
Nutcase
“Many artists have some degree of mental illness: anxiety, depression, delusions of grandeur, obsessive compulsive disorder, etc.”
Addict
“Making art is an addictive process, because making stuff up is highly enjoyable.”
Wanker
“Explaining art to an often sceptical public requires some degree of wankery, in terms of a high-minded and often-pretentious theoretical framework. I’ve learned to justify a ridiculous image with a clever title, or a sophisticated back story.”
Minor Deity
“It is my belief that artists are the only true Gods on earth, because we create beautiful things from nothing."
Chris goes on to report that as a minor deity he has himself founded a global art movement, religion and political party called “Simpliciticm”.
There is only one commandment:
Be Kind: to yourself, to the other humans, to the animals, and to the Earth.
… and who could argue with that?
Finally, and with a particular nod to all of the above, we agree with Chris's parting observation that “without art the world would be a grim and miserable place”.
Story Idea: Remo Giuffré
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References
Video: "The function of art in the life of Reg Mombassa", TEDxSydney 2020
regmombassa.com | Definitive Reg Mombassa website
Reg Mombassa at REMO Design Collection HERE
Book: The Mind and Times of Reg Mombassa by Murray Waldron, Harper Collins, 2009
Image Captions to Come
