Robert Carrithers

New York Portraits 2010: The Countess Cali Moocho

This is the Countess Cali Moocho making her appearance at a New York gallery opening after a long day of shopping for a hat. She has to get back to France to fly her plane. Her passion is flying her plane and forgetting about earthly realities. She always has a smile for everyone and a nice laugh too!

New York Portraits 2010: Michael Carter

I have known Michael Carter for quite awhile and we have shared many adventures together. He is known to be one of the last true beatniks living in the East Village. He is a writer, poet and a Zen beer master. To give an example beer mysticism: A Zen beer master, a Taoist beer master and Michael Carter walk in to a bar. The bartender comes over and asks what they will have, the the Zen beer master says: 'that which can be called beer is not the true beer...'the Taoist beer master stares at the bowl of peanuts, after a while he ceases to see the peanuts; he no longer sees the bowl, then after another while he once again sees the peanuts and bowl as before... finally Michael Carter opening his third eye looks over at the others and says: 'I'll have what they're having...'

Michael is an East Village icon of sorts or sorted. Michael has produced thousands of art events in New York. He produced, created and participated in wacky art happenings, readings, musical performances and video presentations. He has appeared as his alter ego "Vindaloo" creating artistic ruckus and mayhem in his path. He is more known for being a poet giving fiery readings in cafes and clubs. He was also the editor and publisher of Redtape literary magazine. The East Village magazine communicated innovative artistic ideas with the collaboration of writers, artists and visual artists. Redtape featured comics, fiction, poetry, graphic art, and photography. It also provided a venue for both established and emerging artists and writers of the downtown New York scene. It was published between the years 1980 to 1992 and had a strong impact on the New York downtown scene. Michael would have monthly Redtape events with readings, art shows and music.

Michael formed a band in the 80's/90's with Julius Klein called Vacuum Bag. They were known for their wild shows and the unexpected behaviour of the singer, Michael Carter. Michael would often lose himself with emotion, go in a trance and jump from table to table, standing on bars half naked screaming. Unfortunately Vacuum Bag does not exist anymore, but you can still catch Michael Carter reading his poems in a dark bar or cafe. He really is the last Beatnik and one hell of a beer mystic. He is a full pledged member of the writer's beer mystic group The Unbearables. Michael is a featured writer in their various publications such as"Between C & D" and "Peau Sensible".  Michael is the author of a book of poems called, "Broken Noses and Metempsychosis".

Michael Carter sometimes goes into a trance while reading and has visions. He is a strongly influenced by existentialism. He must have been channeling prophecy with the following, from his 1982 poem: “terror is released in lower manhattan/and the terrorists neither carry guns/nor subvert the state/but simply buy it off with promises."

The best way to close is to read one of Michael's poems. It speaks for itself.

La Mairie '89

Nearly full moon, black Jewish star
Lofted above inscrutable, cabalic hebrew
Same street where only fifty years ago
Hitler's dicks rounded up the usual suspects
And dispatched them to eternity
While Cocteau behind shuttered doors
Bewailed bold Eurydice's plight
And Picasso played socialist apostle
Both of 'em prancing bacchanals
Upon these high gates which once boasted
The skewered heads of nobility
Oui, in Paris this year they celebrate the guillotine
Doubtless the apex of Western Civ...
There's a slight slope to these streets
How the blood must run easily
Into the gutters
Like fresh spring rain

New York Portraits 2010: Lucy

This is Lucy! Lucy has a bar in the East Village on Avenue A between St. Marks Place and 9th Street.... 135 Avenue A to be exact! A real dive bar!!! The real thing! It is just a long bar, a room with tables, a pool table and a juke box. Oh, yes, the stinky toilets too! There used be quite a few Polish dive bars in the East Village and this is the survivor. So many things have changed in New York, especially the East Village! I remember going into Lucy's bar in the 80's in New York. Cheap drinks and friendly Lucy greeting you as you came into the door. If you had several drinks, she would always give you one free. I had many a late night there. It was always a good place to go for a talk and a drink. If we had a problem, it was the place to go and talk, usually it always lasted longer than what we wanted and it was 4 am before we knew it. Lucy has been an East Village institution as long as I could remember. I was happy to see her behind the bar, full of energy and talking to the customers as usual. Lots of things always change in New York, but then again, there are some things that remain. Lucy must be in her 80's. I hope she keeps going strong. Here she is, as usual every night in New York, talking to a familiar bar customer. Good ol' Lucy!

New York Halloween 2010

Halloween in New York is a magic time. It always was for me. Halloween was a time for children to transform themselves and I continued that tradition when I moved to New York. When I lived in other places and tried to experience Halloween it was never the same. It lacked that feeling that anything could happen at any moment. I had some of my most romantic magical moments on Halloween in New York. A couple that changed my life. That was when I lived there. In 2010, I felt some of the old magic again, but I wanted more. The next day I ate pumpkin pie and went to St. Marks Church to visit Day of the Dead. Halloween was a Celtic tradition of the dead walking amongst us again for a visit. 

 

New York Halloween 2010: Halloween in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Halloween party time in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We were out in the streets going from party to party. These are some random fun Brooklynites that we met on the way. The only three people I know in this photograph are international adventurer Countess Cali Moocho and the one in purple is renown poet, writer and  a charter member of the New York writing group The Unbearables: Michael Carter. Both of them are in the top and bottom photo. Michael is the purple man and Countess Cali is busy exposing herself. Also in the photo above is Canadian/Australian jet-setter Kate Leach dazed and confused.

 

New York Halloween 2010: Kehinde Koyejo and Cali Moocho

Halloween partying in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and a spontaneous meeting on the street between Nigerian American actress Kehinde Koyejo and world adventurer French Countess Cali Moocho. 

New York Halloween 2010: Box Man!

We were in Williamsburg, Brooklyn celebrating Halloween hopping from party to party. We turned a corner and we came face to face with Box Man! We quickly ran away as fast as we could, but once the Box Man has you in his sights he doesn't leave you alone. We saw him at every party that we went to. We knew that if we didn't make him happy in some way, he would be under our beds in the following nights and we would all eventually become Box men and women, forever doomed to be wandering souls stuck in a box. We offered him poems and alms, but it did not work. Finally we asked him to join us. We spoke to him, got drunk and danced through the night with him. When the sun came up he was no longer a Box Man, but he needed a good shave and bath. For further information about Box Man, see the Box Man video or read about Kobo Abe's story of the Box Man. Click on the highlights to go to the sites for further information.

New York Halloween 2010: The Scarlet Witch joins forces with the Evil Clown

After the Halloween Parade there was a party. The Scarlet Witch joined forces with the Evil Clown. They put a hex on people giving them coulrophobia, tormented everyone and went off laughing into the night. We are now all members of The Cacophony Society as a result. This scary clown was last seen in Portland as you can see on video if you click on the highlight of scary clown. And the final word on scary clowns click on this clown highlight if you dare!

New York Halloween 2010: The Scarlet Witch

After The Halloween Parade I ended up at a party for some members of The Hungry Marching Band. I met lots of people and I met the Scarlet Witch. She put a hex on everyone and promptly proceeded to pose for photos. I was hoping to write some information about her, but she will have to remain a mystery. I guess that is appropriate for a Scarlet Witch. All I know is that she is the daughter of Magneto, the sister of Quicksilver, and the half-sister of Polaris. She is married to the Vision.

New York Halloween 2010: Beautiful faces in the crowd

I was at the Annual New York Halloween Parade. I took many photos of faces out of the crowd and for me these two beautiful faces were nice for me. I would like to see them without the Halloween makeup on their faces. If anyone knows who they are please let me know!