#tomataduplenty

[tomataduplenty]

I have the honor of archiving Tomata Du Plenty's personal belongings and I am happy to share it with you all! This is the first of many posts 💜

Here are a random selection of his personal photos to kick things off!

[kidcongopowers]

A wonderful afternoon in San Francisco yesterday visiting my dear friend Chuck Fulton for the first time in over 30 years! Lovely, Warm and wonderful as ever , we talked of our days with Tomata Du Plenty . Such fond memories . He owns quite the gallery of Tomata’s work , mostly made especially for him. I was honored and touched that Chuckie gave me a painting Tomata had painted of me from his own Collection . I will definitely cherish it for ever. Thanks Chuck for having me over , let’s not make it another 30 years to visit! #tomataduplenty #thescreamers #paintings #chuckiefulton #sanfrancisco #kidcongopowers (at San Francisco, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByvZdACglou/?igshid=s63s7q4hz13w

[kidcongopowers]

Hung my portrait painted by Tomata Du Plenty . Thank you Chuck Fulton for this gift. #kidcongopowers by #tomataduplenty (at Tucson, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzQ_kYTAdfS/?igshid=1b2614ol1o2uj

[weneverlearn]

Tomata du Plenty - Coast to Coast @ Howl Happening 

Howl Happening is an art gallery in Manhattan’s Lower East Side that used to be Arturo Vega’s studio; the Ramones practiced there. In the last few years it’s taken on an amazing second life as a kind of laboratory for mid-to-late century underbelly-sprung art re-introductions and/or gatherings for greying heps to remind everyone how much cooler shit was back when. The “Hey you kids, get off my dive bar front stoop!” possibilities are more than offset by the newer artists they expose (with frequent gallery show switch-ups) and the fact that their event programming is increasingly impressive.

 Sandra Schulman narrating the slideshow; a teen Tomata.

Last Thursday was another example, as the gallery put together a fine talk on the life of legendary punk artist Tomata Du Plenty. Perhaps mostly known as the inspiration for Gary Panter’s logo/image for Tomata’s Los Angeles synth-punk groundbreakers, the Screamers, this talk was an mind-opener to what an incredible, country-crossing life Tomata had in his too-brief 52 years (he passed from HIV complications in 2000).

Curator Sandra Schulman presented a breath-halting slideshow of early fliers, photos, and much of Tomata’s extensive artworks that proved the breadth and depth of this self-taught artist. The crowd was 3/4-packed with aging coolies whose memories stayed strong enough to expel frequent laughs, gasps, and reflective sighs for friends passed and well-remembered. The rest of us just took it in. The seemingly endless stream of “old, cool, dangerous New York” ruminations have had a wearisome effect of late, but the sheer width and winsome respect fueling this event was impervious to cynicism.  

I figured the Screamers couldn’t have all been originally from L.A., but even I didn’t imagine that Tomata (real name David Harrigan) was originally from Queens! His early days in NYC were stuffed with the kind of proto-piss ‘em off yippie provocations that would lead him to the Screamers anti-rock once he got out to the left coast and formed the band in the mid-70s. In fact, Tomata -- as ever-scenesters Tish & Snooky of Manic Panic fame explained -- was performing and bumming around the L.E.S. when the locals were still calling CBGB “Hilly’s.” 

Especially illuminating were the images and discussion of Tomata’s love of country music and literature, as expressed through his simple but deeply affecting paintings of favorite artists done on pages from favorite books that matched aesthetic. The Ramones on a page from James Thurber’s “A Couple of Hamburgers” was a particular favorite. Tish & Snooky have the original and let me snap a pic:

There were many more of these works to peruse and even buy over at the gallery desk...

After discussions of Tomata’s bouncing around from Florida to his beloved New Orleans and back to Cali, The Big Takeover publisher Jack Rabid told a fine tale of his chance to finally sit down and interview his hero just three months before he passed. The humility expressed and the bravery in barely ever mentioning his sickness added layers that punk fanatics might’ve missed if the Screamers’ amazing skronk and Panter’s cartoon head were your only window into Tomata du Plenty. 

If you’re ever in the L.E.S., definitely check and see what’s happening at Howl Happening.

Thanks to Arturo at Academy Records for a few of these pix.

[therecordnerd]

Midnight with Tomata du Plenty and Tommy Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #recordnerd #recordcrate #recordcollector #recordcollection #ropstyle #vinylnerd #vinylcollector #vinylhound #vinylcollection #nowspinning #screamers #newwave #lapunk #realpunkrock #newwavepunk #synthpunk #ogtechnopunk #tomataduplenty #tommygear #recordofthenight #recordoftheday #vinylpowerhour

[kidcongopowers]

Remembering how great The Screamers were live in the 1970's pic by #donnasantisi #tomataduplenty #kkbarrett #thescreamers

[wemostbleed]

#tomataduplenty #thescreamers #1978

[killedbyflorida]

#tbt ca.1992 in front of the mural Tomata du Plenty and I created on Lincoln Road Mall on the outside of the Hamlet bar. I was skinny once... #miami #southbeach #tomataduplenty