Niagara (artist)
Encyclopedia
Niagara is a musician
and a painter
. She was the lead vocalist of the punk rock
bands Destroy All Monsters
and Dark Carnival.
in 1974, Niagara, along with Mike Kelley, formed Destroy All Monsters
. D.A.M. was active until 1985, earning international recognition due largely to the presence of former members of The Stooges
and the MC5
. Niagara soon after fronted the supergroup Dark Carnival (also with Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, and brother Scott Asheton Stooges drummer). Niagara, currently with backing from Australian band, The Hitmen, performs rock performances in Australia, Tokyo, with a European tour scheduled for 2009.
Niagara utilized her art school experience in creating album and promotional art for Destroy All Monsters/Dark Carnival performances. Combining an illustrator's hand with some collage and pop iconography, Niagara's style began to take shape in earnest during these years, and by the early 90's she was beginning to show in small exhibits and cafes around the Detroit area.
It was during this time that Niagara teamed up with the Detroit gallery CPop in 1996. Her first exhibits "All Men Are Cremated Equal" (1996) and "Faster Niagara, Kill...Kill" (1997) were breakout shows which garnered her regional praise . Soon art periodicals such as Juxtapoz were heralding her as "The Queen Of Detroit" and many successful exhibits would follow in other cities like Los Angeles
, New York
, San Francisco, Sydney
and Tokyo
to name but a few. "The Niagara Girl," who appears in many female guises, would come to represent feminist swagger with drop dead gorgeous looks and an equally dangerous demeanor. Hard-boiled, tough talking gals who would rather dispatch a man than put up with any of his antics. Her bold and colorful post-pulp comic strip countenances of femme fatales in various depictions of malfeasence was culturally soldified by Callie Khoury's Thelma and Louise
, which shares a kindred spirit with Niagara's subjects, along with pin-up girls like Bettie Page
and the bad side of 40's and 50's film icons such as Bette Davis
, Lauren Bacall
and Jane Greer
.
In 2002, Niagara's work began to stray away from the gun-toting, booze swilling Femme fatale to a more intricate "Opium Series". Still decidedly feminine, but the violence was turned inward, as world-weary, flapper-esque beauties are depicted in druggy repose amidst swirling opium fumes, full of Chinese
patterns and applique make the series her most detailed and introspective work to date.
In 2006, a career retrospective of her art and music was chronicled in her coffee table tome "Beyond The Pale" (9mm Books).
In 2006 Niagara had her first UK exhibition at Richard Goodall Gallery
in Manchester England. Niagara returned in 2008 for a show titled The Good, The Bad, & The Beautiful. Outre' Gallery in Australia have also produced a set of Niagara silkscreened limited edition prints exclusively for the gallery to coincide with Niagara's sold out shows in Sydney and Melbourne in 2008. Niagara premiered a full clothing line with the avant garde couturier Hysteric Glamour to coincide with her opening in Tokyo in 2007. Also unveiled in 2008 was Niagara's collaboration with Vans. The result was Vans Vault Series that featured seven unique styles of hip urban footwear based on Niagara designs which debuted in Paris 2008. In 2009 Niagara returns to the stage full time with tours of Australia, Europe, and United States. Niagara currently lives and works in the Detroit area.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and a painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. She was the lead vocalist of the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands Destroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters (band)
Destroy All Monsters were an influential Detroit band existing from 1973 to 1985, with sporadic performances since. Their music touched on elements of punk rock, psychedelic, heavy metal music and noise rock with a heavy dose of performance art. Their name likely came from the Godzilla film Destroy...
and Dark Carnival.
Biography
While attending the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1974, Niagara, along with Mike Kelley, formed Destroy All Monsters
Destroy All Monsters (band)
Destroy All Monsters were an influential Detroit band existing from 1973 to 1985, with sporadic performances since. Their music touched on elements of punk rock, psychedelic, heavy metal music and noise rock with a heavy dose of performance art. Their name likely came from the Godzilla film Destroy...
. D.A.M. was active until 1985, earning international recognition due largely to the presence of former members of The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
and the MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
. Niagara soon after fronted the supergroup Dark Carnival (also with Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, and brother Scott Asheton Stooges drummer). Niagara, currently with backing from Australian band, The Hitmen, performs rock performances in Australia, Tokyo, with a European tour scheduled for 2009.
Niagara utilized her art school experience in creating album and promotional art for Destroy All Monsters/Dark Carnival performances. Combining an illustrator's hand with some collage and pop iconography, Niagara's style began to take shape in earnest during these years, and by the early 90's she was beginning to show in small exhibits and cafes around the Detroit area.
It was during this time that Niagara teamed up with the Detroit gallery CPop in 1996. Her first exhibits "All Men Are Cremated Equal" (1996) and "Faster Niagara, Kill...Kill" (1997) were breakout shows which garnered her regional praise . Soon art periodicals such as Juxtapoz were heralding her as "The Queen Of Detroit" and many successful exhibits would follow in other cities like Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, San Francisco, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to name but a few. "The Niagara Girl," who appears in many female guises, would come to represent feminist swagger with drop dead gorgeous looks and an equally dangerous demeanor. Hard-boiled, tough talking gals who would rather dispatch a man than put up with any of his antics. Her bold and colorful post-pulp comic strip countenances of femme fatales in various depictions of malfeasence was culturally soldified by Callie Khoury's Thelma and Louise
Thelma and Louise
Thelma & Louise is a 1991 film co-produced and directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, the film's plot revolves around Thelma and Louise's escape from their troubled and caged lives. It stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, and co-stars Harvey Keitel as a...
, which shares a kindred spirit with Niagara's subjects, along with pin-up girls like Bettie Page
Bettie Page
Bettie Mae Page was an American model who became famous in the 1950s for her fetish modeling and pin-up photos. She has often been called the "Queen of Pinups"...
and the bad side of 40's and 50's film icons such as Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall is an American film and stage actress and model, known for her distinctive husky voice and sultry looks.She first emerged as leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film To Have And Have Not and continued on in the film noir genre, with appearances in The Big Sleep and Dark Passage ,...
and Jane Greer
Jane Greer
Jane Greer was a film and television actress who was perhaps best known for her role as femme fatale Kathie Moffat in the 1947 film noir Out of the Past.-Career:...
.
In 2002, Niagara's work began to stray away from the gun-toting, booze swilling Femme fatale to a more intricate "Opium Series". Still decidedly feminine, but the violence was turned inward, as world-weary, flapper-esque beauties are depicted in druggy repose amidst swirling opium fumes, full of Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
patterns and applique make the series her most detailed and introspective work to date.
In 2006, a career retrospective of her art and music was chronicled in her coffee table tome "Beyond The Pale" (9mm Books).
In 2006 Niagara had her first UK exhibition at Richard Goodall Gallery
Richard Goodall Gallery
The Richard Goodall Gallery is a contemporary fine art, photography and rock poster gallery based in Manchester, United Kingdom. They have been in existence since 2000. In 2007 a second location was added on High Street in Manchester focused on contemporary fine art, with the original location on...
in Manchester England. Niagara returned in 2008 for a show titled The Good, The Bad, & The Beautiful. Outre' Gallery in Australia have also produced a set of Niagara silkscreened limited edition prints exclusively for the gallery to coincide with Niagara's sold out shows in Sydney and Melbourne in 2008. Niagara premiered a full clothing line with the avant garde couturier Hysteric Glamour to coincide with her opening in Tokyo in 2007. Also unveiled in 2008 was Niagara's collaboration with Vans. The result was Vans Vault Series that featured seven unique styles of hip urban footwear based on Niagara designs which debuted in Paris 2008. In 2009 Niagara returns to the stage full time with tours of Australia, Europe, and United States. Niagara currently lives and works in the Detroit area.