Category: Art
Tiff McGinnis, aka Grande Dame, brings her multi-media spectacle to Ink-D Gallery with My Voodoo On You – a bijou, psychedelic salon of sound, moving image, original art, limited editions, comics, textiles, wallpaper, soft furnishing, lights, ceramics and more.
This has been a 5-year project in the making, starting with her album. Originally from Columbus, Georgia, Tiff’s early years were steeped in the rich sounds of the Deep South. From her New Orleans Dixieland bandleader grandfather, to her rhythm and blues record-collecting father, to the twangy country ballads she heard blaring from the transistor radio – the sounds from her youth made an impact that would last a lifetime – and her album is a testament to that. It’s more of a collection of music from around the South than a genre-specific band album. Think dark, moody sound track to a southern gothic film. It’s available as a box set, on limited edition teal vinyl, with neon risograph print, or with a CD and Comic book.
Tiff co-wrote the album with her song-writing partner and keyboard virtuoso – Pete Z (King of Shag). It was recorded and mixed at Wendy House Studios in Shepherds Bush summer 2010, produced by Grande Dame’s drummer Adrian Meehan and Tiff. The purely analogue album boasts an impressive pedigree of musicians. From Amy Winehouse and Primal Scream horn players, to backing vocals courtesy of Mike “Clip” Payne, Joey Eppard, & Deville Edwards PFUNK, collectively they created a sound that celebrates Tiff’s southern roots. The album can be heard here.
Once the album was recorded, Tiff set out to make videos and animations for some of her songs. She completed the herculean task of creating four music videos and one animated short for her spoken word, The Trip, which she also produced in comic book form. She will be projecting these visuals throughout her show. The Trip film has recently been licensed by legendary animation festival – Spike & Mike’s Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation – and will be online shortly before the show/ album release. Grande Dame Animations can be seen here.
Tiff then took images from her animations and made a series of artwork. Each piece loosely tells the story of a particular track. Inspired by iconography, film noir, pulp fiction covers, pinball, comic books, Art Nouveau, 60’s black light and Fillmore East Posters, indigenous art and more – Tiff’s work evokes images of those genres, but with her own big, colorful, alluring personal stamp.
For her Voodoo show, Tiff is creating an entire environment. All objects are inspired by her music: wallpapered walls, silken cushions, ceramics, embroidery, a listening station, lights and more… Each song on the album has it’s own unique, colourful creation… So treat your eyes and ears and take a visit to this wild wonderland of Grande Dame’s Voodoo On You – upstairs at ink_d gallery Brighton from Oct 23rd –Nov 9th- you will certainly be under her spell! You can read more about the amazing multi-talented Tiff McGinnis here. Read my 2013 interview with Grande Dame here.
Opening times: Monday-Saturday: 10am – 6pm, Sunday: 12pm – 4pm