Dr. Lisa Gives a Sh*t Lisa Levy

You can too! These guys are smart, attractive, and talented, plus they make great, widely respected work together without arguing. IS this real? How is it possible that a married couple can make art together without getting at each other’s throat? I kicked the tires and found out A LOT. They both have equally strong personalities and mutual respect folks! They each come from small towns which helps keep the neurosis in check too. We talk about their current show at Postmasters, http://www.postmastersart.com/archive/jcpo19/jcpo19direct.html which, among some larger pieces, has miniature dollhouse type of recreations of horrific historical scenes, many of which are mass suicides such as Jonestown. There’s also a well-researched recreation of In addition delve into some of their projects which involve more craziness such as driving an illegal re-made tour bus around Chelsea giving tours on the art from the bus and selling strange funny art souvenirs. http://www.jenandpaulbustours.com/ And this crazy over-the –top dinner with a elevating table at Allegra La Viola Gallery—Loren Monk/James Kalm video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLUC8lJCs0Y YOU MUST SEE their show at Postmasters – TOO GOOD. More

Patty is an excellent visual artist/painter who has just hung a show at Front Room-open until Jan. 6, titled, "Studio Mates", which features 5 pairs of artists who share studios. https://www.frontroomles.com/ We have an engaging and illuminating discussion about what the experience and effect of having a studio mate is on ones art and life. Patty has some great stories about the studio visits she made during the curation of this show. There’s some great stories about Patty’s own studio share with artist Amy Hill. (Here's a Dr. Lisa session with Amy: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/drlisa/episodes/2018-09-25T09_55_52-07_00). We also talk about Patty’s dramatic change of subject in her own work—abstract to an original form of self-portraiture. She says due to her feelings resulting from the election of Donald Trump, but Dr. Lisa pokes around to check if there’s more personal besides her political feelings behind that. More about Patty and her work here: http://patriciafabricant.com/

Robert Galinsky’s had a very rough couple of years with his father growing up. His father had undiagnosed depression which as we discussed, he worked through and resolved. 
 His childhood experiences motivated him to heal and help others has given him a more than full life as an artist: an actor, a writer, director, teacher, coach. Galinsky's suburban life drew him to find out directly how struggling people lived. Galinsky has been running youth writing workshops in Riker's Island for the past 7 years, so he helps us imagine what life is like in Riker's; the teens who are held there what they dream of, how they got there, what they hope to accomplish upon release. After this session, I felt that if there were more Galinsky's and if there was a pipeline for people to become Galinskys, the world would be a better place. When asked about this, Robert says, we're a consumer society and we don't have the will to deal with these issues. I agree, but I will think about incarcerated teens differently because of our talk.
https://linktr.ee/galinskynow
Sign up! Go see his play when you it's running ! https://thebenchplay.com/home
Based on true stories and real people, The Bench, set in urban decay and rubble, explores the emotional heartbreak of five homeless characters and the catastrophic hysteria surrounding AIDS in the late 1980’s. It’s solo theater, where one actor plays five characters, written in dialogue form.
“A slice of life carved from the lower depths. Galinsky brings a wrenching realism to his material." LA Times-- 
“If you enjoy the work of Anna Deavere Smith or 'Humans of New York" you're in for a treat. Galinsky transforms himself into a living ghost. His vital solo piece, is the most important kind of urban voyeurism. It puts a smile on your lips and moisture in your eyes.” Theater Is Easy
“Director Jay O. Sanders has built a career on roles that are inseparable from the worlds that spawned them; that same sensibility is certain to be in evidence in the play The Bench.” DEADLINE Hollywood
“Galinsky is a theatre operative, impresario, and a bundle of energy and curly black hair.” Wall Street Journal
BIO: Galinsky is a contributing writer to The Fresh Toast, is Head Speaker Coach for TEDxTeen, TEDxFultonStreet, and teaches writing and performance at Rikers Island Jail, through the non-profit Literacy for Incarcerated Teens and GalinskyCoaching.com. His work as an artist activist has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, and on The VIEW, NPR, ABC Nightline News and many media outlets.

I had a blast with Kevin Allison in this session. At over a million downloads a month, live shows all over the country, a book and more-RISK! is described as, "a hit podcast where people tell true stories they never thought they'd dare to share." Listen to any episode and you will see what we're saying! It's sooooo exceptional.
Kevin is a professional sharer, so he didn't hold back with Dr. Lisa. He talks about his gay group therapy that shrinks kept quitting, his current shrink, what he's really like vs. the onstage version of Kevin, some of his dating experiences, how relationships with his fellow members of "The State" developed throughout the show, and how there will never be enough downloads to make him happy.

Kelsey has played and collaborated with many people; he is known most recently for his recordings as Blak Emoji. He also produced a film and has produced other artists, and did a one-person musical stage performance based on his own life. He has lots of cool stories to tell. Kelsey is a consummate professional on every level—first and foremost his own work. He's super smart about navigating the music business and he has real experience to share. Lots of entertainment, learning and a sampling of Blak Emoji in this powerful session.

LISTEN: https://orcd.co/beec
FOLLOW: https://www.instagram.com/blak.emoji/
WEBSITE: https://www.blakemoji.com/
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQRzhUzTsBs
BIO: BLAK EMOJI
Blak Emoji is the brainchild of NYC producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Kelsey Warren. Blending pop inspirations with an emphasis on electronic music, synth sounds and intricate writing, Kelsey's sonic dream is brought to life.
The debut Blak Emoji EP, "INTRO" (2017) was the first of several releases with two albums, a sophomore EP and the latest album "ECLECTRO." Warren has received a variety of accolades from notable publications including Rolling Stone, Afro-Punk, Line Best Of Fit, BUST, Clash Magazine, Vampire Freaks and Tape Op. Blak Emoji songs "Velvet Ropes & Dive Bars" and "Poison To Medicine" made their way to ABC's Quantico while "Sapiosexual" appeared in several indie films.
Warren was immersed in soul/R&B and pop music growing up in South Jersey. But after learning piano concertos, jazz guitar standards, drums and other instruments, Warren became addicted to hip-hop, punk, minimalist classical. He supplemented his ever-expanding musical taste with a dense love of electronic music and synth inspiration from Kraftwerk to Prince to NIN.
Quarantine didn't prove to slow down Warren who spent the duration of the pandemic producing numerous artists and directing music videos. He dropped an avant-electronic instrumental Blak Emoji album called "Antidote". In 2022, Blak Emoji was signed to ECR Music Group. The first single release after joining the ECR label is "MAINSTAY," which is one of his most successful to date. This February, ECR will release a deluxe edition of "ECLECTRO" with bonus tracks.

Artist Scooter LaForge is a delight. To be honest, I somehow felt like connecting with him on this show was healing for me-now who’s the shrink!?
Scooter’s work is amazing and so instinctual- he cannot not do it. Even though he’s worked with big names like he is as humble as can be. So much to learn from his perspective—growing up as a gay man in a tiny town in Arizona. I have to say I was envious hearing of all the free-range outdoor time he had, but alas the town, it’s sounds really small and devoid of gays which means a pretty homogenous group of people (boring!)
Scooter is the best of what an artist is—someone fueled by their work and satisfied because of it. He complimented me a lot, so I’m going to give him an A as a guest rating.
Follow and learn more about Scooter HERE: https://www.scooter-laforge.com/ Instagram @scooterlaforge @scooter_laforge_a_life_of_art/
BIO: Scooter Laforge began his love affair with art at a very young age while growing up in the small town of Las Cruces, New Mexico. His burning desire to render things beautifully began with his singer/songwriter mother, and his landscape painting father; both equally inspired his creativity and lust for art.
Laforge’s work can be characterized as Pop Art partnered with abstract expressionism and Dutch classicism. His paintings and drawings are portraitures, landscapes, and objective subject matter, utilizing his special painting techniques and incorporating his homoerotic, in your face, non-apologetic lifestyle.  Like Golden Books on acid, his work employs a 50’s illustrated storybook technique, modernized by 70’s color palettes and are influenced heavily by gay pornography, cute fluffy animals, and sometimes iconic cartoons (i.e. SpongeBob Square Pants, The Cookie Monster, and Popeye and Brutis) which are reoccurring characters and themes within his work. 
LaForge earned his BFA from the University of Arizona in 1993,[5] and began his career as a painter in San Francisco.[6] He moved to New York City in 2001,[3] where he attended the Cooper Union School of Art under a fellowship.[8] His art is in the collections of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art[9] and Beth Rudin DeWoody.[10]
LaForge has a line of hand-painted, unique clothing items that are sold through fashion stylist Patricia Field.[11] He has twice collaborated with Belgian fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck.[12][13] His clothing has been worn by Susanne Bartsch,[14] Sandra Bernhard,[15] Beyoncé,[8] Miley Cyrus,[6] Boy George,[3] Debbie Harry,[8] Nicki Minaj,[3] Madonna,[8] Iggy Pop,[3] Rihanna,[6] and Lil Wayne.[3]