LIVSKAMRATER (LIFE COMPANIONS)

Front Cover
Here's some artwork I've done for the digital release of a mini-album "VAR INTE OROLIG" (DON'T BE AFRAID) that I've been recording this year. Well, actually I didn't do much more than the composition and layout, since I had some serious trouble with coming up with any visual concept that I felt represented what the music was about. So I made montages of other peoples pictures, and settled for that. It turned out quite nice though, and I think the pictures adds something to the music, even if it isn't something very personal.
Parallel to this project I have been collaborating with some other musicians on a full-length album, and I've managed to scrape together some visual work there that I'm really proud of. I will be posting more about this early next year.
Stay tuned!

To listen to "VAR INTE OROLIG", here's a link for you:
https://lifecompanions.bandcamp.com/album/var-inte-orolig-2017

And some links to the materials I've used for these pictures would be in order I guess:
https://theredlist.com/media/database/fine_arts/arthistory/painting/xix/realisme/carl-larsson/017-carl-larsson-theredlist.jpg
https://www.oldbookillustrations.com
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/The_Sin_of_Nora_Moran_FilmPoster.jpg


Back Cover

Alternative version of the Front Cover

A printable mini-poster

Illustration for the track "OFFSHORE"

Illustration for the track "SINKING"

Illustration for the track "DEEPER"

Illustration for the track "RISING"

Illustration for the track "GENTLY"

Illustration for the track "ALL THE WAY BACK"

Illustration for the track "HOME"

 






































































































































Early Front Cover for a possible cassette edition

For those of you who like my pictures

If you like my artwork, please leave a comment or follow this blog. It would inspire me a great deal to continue my work with visual art.
Also, if you are interested in using my pictures or if you are in need of visual art for a record, poster, book cover or illustrations, (anything at all really), please contact me by e-mail: slicklyn@hotmail.com
Thanks,
Benjamin

Pictures for sale @ Urban Artroom 1209!

























10 of my pictures will for an unspecified period of time be available for sale as signed  large limited edition high quality prints at a local gallery called Urban Artroom 1209. At a low cost as well. http://shop.textalk.se/se/artgrp.php?id=30937&grp=1705683

DMT

This wasn't supposed to be a drug-inspired picture, but as usual I can't really control how my pictures turn out. DMT or N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, is found in many plants and animals. Even we humans have got this compound within our brains, It is apparently released in large amounts at the moment of death, and many believe this molecule to be a sacred passage between life and death.

The plants containing this substance are common as entheogens and they are still used today to come into contact with your spiritual self and with other worlds. I really have no opinion about all of this, but since I'm going to experience the effects of DMT when I die, I can't help but get a little bit curious about why and what it would be like.


For those interested in this subject there is a lot of information out there. DMT: the Spirit Molecule is a documentary on the subject, at Erowid.org you can find out more about peoples experiences with this substance and there are books written about it as well.


From what I've heard you can also legally and free of charge try this drug in various contries, in and outside of Europe, at church-like facilities. I'm not sure if I would dare to do this though, or if I recommend anybody else to do it either.


The plant the man in fetal position is holding is called Psychotria Virdis and is used for experiences with DMT. The molecule protruding from the plant is, as you've probably guessed, a model of a DMT-molecule.

FRIEND?

I made this picture today, and haven't really had time to think very much about it. It depicts a naked young man with an erection, holding on to a chair as if inviting someone to sit, with a sunset and some hindu / buddhist signs in the background.
Well the process of creating it was really simple. I found this photo of a man with an erection holding on to a chair and thought it was interesting. So I started outlining it and when I was finished I thought: 
What now? Maybe I should put something in the backgound. Maybe I should put a sunset in the background? 
As you can see, I did this. 
Still, the picture seemed to lack something, so I put the sign for "OM" (the hindu-term for the sound that creates the world) over the sun. Then I put the hindu sun-symbol behind the sun. Yet something was still missing. 
So I tried to come up with some more exotic-looking scribble and the mantra "Om ah hum vajra guru padma siddhi hum" came to mind. It means something along the line of "let my body, speech and mind become one with my teacher." 

The questions still remains however: 
What is the meaning of this? 
Why does this young man have an erection? 
Why is he holding on to a chair? 
Why are there religious signs everywhere?

Well, if I have to, I can explain it. I promise. But if someone can like this picture without an explanation I would be much more happy. I mean, explaining a picture should never change how it is perceived or how it is interpreted. So, I'll leave it at that. If you still want an explanation however, leave a comment or e-mail me.

Here's the photo I based the picture on:




















AMANITA



Animal Collective put out a new record this week, which inspired me a great deal. One of the new songs were called "Amanita", which is the name of a mushroom (Amanita Muscaria or Amanita Pantherina) that's really common in Sweden. Children are thaught to avoid it at all costs as people think it's poisonous, and deadly at that. This is not true at all, though it is a strong deliriant with some really disturbing effects, causing hallucinations and intense changes in perception. It has been used by shamans as a tool to reach the spirit world in many cultures and has been consumed by human beings for thousands of years.
This is mainly the theme of Animal Collectives song, with a bit of fairy tale influences, but as I read about peoples experiences with the mushroom I thought that the lyrics for the track "Father Time" might actually describe the effects of this mushroom more correctly (so I'll post them below). People who eat this mushroom describe getting caught in a time-loop that's horrifying, feeling like they are trapped in hell. As time passes, though - if they do not panic - they can alter this loop to experience extreme emotional states of religious extacy and comfort. And as the loop reaches its end most people who can remember the experience afterwards (it seems to be dreamlike and fade away quickly) feel like they've discovered the meaning of life, the universe, everything.

"Open up your locket does solidarity breed from a good foundation?
Things speed out of date now you can be falling and when your up it's blown
Up with all new buildings painted they're not your
Colors and all the places you went to you don't get what they offer and hey
That's Nathan but didn't he pass a long time ago?
Where'd he go?

We exorcised the weekend now all the demons can't play but they snuck into
Thursday
Looking out for panthers from the road again but didn't they pass a long
Time ago?
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsty.com/animal-collective-father-time-lyrics.html ]
Luck it's not it's real. No it's not real
Maybe it's only real when lightning landed and hit you right where you were
Standing
Or when your imagination shows you what only time is supposed to tell you
Then I imagine time he's got real big hands and bigger plans
From a long time ago

And did I remember suitcase and all the things in my head and all the
Expectations of doing something special
I could be gone today
But where do they take me?

Luck it's not real though my feelings say it's real
Maybe it's only real when someone blinds you when they had always been so
Kind to you
Imagination won't get moldy can't wait for time to unfold me
Then I imagine time he's got real big hands and bigger plans
From a long time ago"

In Siberia Amanita Muscaria is the incarnation of a god, the god of lightning. In India it's called "Soma", the god drug. Some argue that combining weed with this mushroom is the best way to consume it.

I have not tried this mushroom myself, and would not recommend it to anyone, as the effects seem far from pleasant, but here's some links for those of you interested in learning more about it anyway:
http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=68309
http://www.erowid.org/experiences/subs/exp_Amanitas.shtml


And here's a link to Animal Collectives new record, which you can listen to for free on their website:
http://radio.myanimalhome.net/

Here's some of the photographs I used to make this picture.
I do not own the copyrights to these pictures. 




SPACE OF LOVE

Sometimes when I make a picture and look at it afterwards, I can't really decide if it is disgusting or pretty. This is one of those pictures, and I think it reflects much of my own emotions when i try to think about love. Somewhere deep inside I guess I believe love to be the reason of existence - atleast of human existence, and since I am a human being, I would like to think of love as the reason of everything, not just my own nature. I know it sounds corny, but i guess as you grow older, you stop caring if you're corny or not.
So, what are my feelings towards love? I'm not really sure. Sometimes I feel like love is what makes everything so hard, frustrating and disgusting. Sometimes I feel like love is what makes everything easy and pleasant, and is that supreme flavour that gives meaning to all this we call life. I guess the truth is somewhere in between.

As I am quite tired right now, I may re-edit this post at a later date. Probably not. And I haven't really decieded if the picture is finnished or if it needs more work. But I guess it will have to do for now.
Peace!