Nothing to Do - Nowhere to Go

"A few years back I embarked on a series of paintings I called Rogues. The purpose behind this portfolio was to challenge myself to step away from my usual figurative pieces and try to come up with new and unique concepts. These included some still life instrument pieces, famous gestures, logos and even apparel–all while trying to remain loyal to my rock ‘n’ roll brand.
The one idea I hadn’t tried, but had been top of mind for a few years now, was the legendary stages and venues that helped shape the sound and style of every genre of music. These venues have added as much to the mythology and/or lore of music as the bands themselves.
As I started to conceptualize this new series, a lot of venues came to mind, like The Whiskey, The Troubadour, The Cavern and of course, the birthplace of punk–CBGB. It was CBGB that catapulted to the forefront after listening to the Ramones. The lyric, “nothing to do, nowhere to go” really hit home due to the lockdown conditions we currently find ourselves in. It also reminded me of photos of the dive bar shut down and boarded up. I could not think of a better place to start with this new series." -Stickman