Tag Archives: Berlin drawing

The night is dark and full of ice cream: Moldover and Alfred Ladylike at Posh Teckel in Neukölln.

Moldover performing at Posh Teckel drawn by Suzanne Forbes Aug 10 2017Seriously, nukes could fly any second. The world is ON FIRE because of some dimwitted psychopaths. Life has returned to 80’s conditions, a world of “tomorrow I’ll ____, unless nukes. Thursday I’ll _____, unless nukes.”

And yet, I am full of joy, and I got to see an amazing show, and I made art.

I’ve drawn Alfred Ladylike before, on two occasions. I am a fan of Alfred both in solo and Donut Heart incarnations. Although I did not draw her the first time I saw her perform, when she opened with “Professional” for Amanda Palmer at the show I drew at last Fall! Alfred played at Posh Teckel in Neukölln last night.Alfred Ladylike performing at Posh Teckel drawn by Suzanne Forbes Aug 10 2017

“Teckel” means “dachshund” and there has never been a bar as dachshund-themed as Posh Teckel ever in the history of the world.

It is pretty damn delightful, and also it is a bar that cares a lot about music. It is smaller than our flat but charming. The music sounded great. Alfred performed a few songs but I only made one drawing because it was entirely red and dark and very, very hot in the music part of the bar!

Luckily the music space cooled off a bit as the evening went on. I asserted my needs and dragged in a bar chair to sit on in front of the stage. No-one minded. It’s Berlin, we do what we like.

Moldover drawn by Suzanne Forbes Aug 10 2017Then Moldover played and wow he is a crackerjack musician and terrific live performer.

He was really just extremely good. I knew pretty much nothing about controllerism, or that Moldover is known worldwide as the Godfather of Controllerism. But I know musicians, and I know performers, and I was just thrilled to see such a terrific show out of the blue on a Thursday night in Berlin when we might all die in a nuclear firestorm tomorrow.

Moldover drawn by Suzanne Forbes Aug 10 2017Boy howdy, I sure hope I get to go back and read this six months from now and say “wasn’t it scary, thank heavens things are better now.”

Because this is the sweetest and brightest and most joyful and meaningful my life has ever been and I’m drawing like blue hot holy hell. I headed home at midnight; I stopped at our all-night bistro to get ice-cream. Mango eis in the velvet dark and coolness of the summer night, our neighborhood still quietly bustling. I was so happy I scared the cats my husband by dancing in the front door. It would be a shame to get radiation sickness at a time like this.

Anyway, If you like me going around and documenting Berlin life and art, you can help make it possible by supporting me on Patreon. It’s easy and you can pledge as a little as a buck a month; I’ll be thrilled! Moldover has a Patreon too and is on bandcamp and both those corporations are being pretty decent world citizens, as corporations go, so far. So you could go support this fine musician here on Patreon (I did!) or buy his music and music devices on bandcamp. And watch this video, where Moldover wears a tinfoil jumpsuit and performs inside a giant computer chip.

Or maybe he’s really tiny? Whichever, check it out.

Don’t wait too long, in case nukes.

Dr. Sketchy’s Weimar Berlin Part 2: Le Pustra as Sebastian Droste!

Le Pustra posing at Dr Sketchys Berlin by Suzanne Forbes at Dr Sketchys Berlin Aug 6 2017At the Dr Sketchy’s Berlin “Anita Berber” session, Berlin cabaret superstar and muse Le Pustra portrayed Sebastian Droste.

Le Pustra posing by Suzanne Forbes at Dr Sketchys Berlin Aug 6 2017Droste was Anita Berber’s gay husband, a figure of crafted intrigue, tweaked out cocaine addict ferocity, and wild Expressionist talent.

Together they created a kind of Smut Dada that exhilarated and appalled the world, exactly as they intended. Lustmord, Sex and Death.

“Here as elsewhere, Droste materializes as a liminal figure, both male and female, human and god. In this and other scenarios of sacrifice, the accent falls not on redemption, but on sheer eroticism of self-extinction, the ecstasy of Lustmord.”

-from the must-read introduction to Merrith Cole’s translation of the Berber-Droste book of poems, Dances of Vice, Horror, and Ecstasy.

Le Pustra posing by Suzanne Forbes at Dr Sketchys Berlin Aug 6 2017

The session was in the very elegant salon setting of queer space Cafe Kalwil on Berlin’s historic gay boulevard Motzstraße.

Le Pustra as Sebastian Droste fox stole drawn by Suzanne Forbes Aug 6 2017Since we did not want to damage the silk satin and devoré velvet furniture, we used only graphite and pencils. I added some pastel and ink later, at home.

On Monday I went to my favorite art supply store near Winterfeldplatz specifically to get an oil pastel in a deep labial/glanz pink to accent the Sebastian drawings. It seemed like the right thing to do!

I cannot wait to see Le Pustra’s celebrated Kabarett der Namenlosen at Ballhaus Berlin next March. (Trailer here) I will make so many drawings!

So much gratitude and thanks to LaLaVox and Le Pustra for organizing such a dream event for artists!

Mad praise to Le Pustra for his creation of Droste as decadent and bitter, yet sensual and vulnerable. Even more drawings coming soon! You can see my drawings of Bridge Markland as Anita Berber here, drawings from the previous Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin here, and here’s the Instagram for Dr Sketchy’s Berlin.

Le Pustra as Sebastian Droste drawn by Suzanne Forbes Aug 6 2017Please remember: if you enjoy my drawing documentation of Berlin’s queer art scene, you can support my doing it for as little as $1 (or euro) a month by pledging to my Patreon!