Vendors, Performance Artists and Attendees Shine At Cirque Voltaire

The Mad Tatters:  Brandan Styles and Ellie Rusinova
Local artists and creators of Cirque Voltaire
Photo courtesy of Brandan's FB profile

Last Friday night, two well regarded, local artists known as the Mad Tatters hosted Cirque Voltaire - Denver's first surreal circus art event.  Denver Subculture attended and not only were we impressed by the success of the show, we also had a damn good time!

Salon style display of some of the 30 artists featured
at the event. Photo courtesy of Klint Krenzke.
See more of Klint's event photos on Facebook.

The Mad Tatters, Ellie Rusinova and Brandan Styles, greeted their guests in character as Dr. B. Zurk and Madame Madness.  They delighted everyone with art and entertainment that was whimsical, mysterious, bizarre, even shocking. They also provided something which heretofore did not exist in Denver - an opportunity for unusual artists such as themselves to experience community with each other. Harkening back to the Dada movement in Europe nearly a hundred years ago, The Mad Tatters sought to create a haven where the modern world’s lack of meaning and depth is conquered by artistic collaboration. Cirque Voltaire was so-named as a tribute to Café Voltaire, where many of the Dada artists met to express themselves without risk of oppression.

Local act Tovio and Kalliope.
Photo courtesy of Klint Krenzke.

There were greater than 30 artists showing impressive work, as well as numerous live performances that were highly entertaining.  But we have to admit that we were rather taken with with the vendors and the costumed crowd (some of whom were perfomers as well - but they were working the crowd and we were digging it!). Vendors displayed remarkable talent in crafted items that were both anachronisitic and macabre. We delighted in getting to know their creators.  Without a doubt, they were jovial, charming people who were genuinely pleased about the positive response to their work.

We LOVE this.
Photo courtesy of davewoodphotography.com

To our pleasent surprise, after the event, we also discovered a few striking black and white photos of Cirque Voltaire. While stalking everyone on Facebook (sketchy? maybe. creepers? for sure!), we encountered local photographer Dave Wood who gave us his permission to feature his work here as well.

Below, you will find some of our favorite encounters from the night.  Hopefully you get an opportunity to seek out these people around Denver, and find out for yourself that they are as strange as they look.  Which is why we here at Denver Subculture love all of them!

Keile Ament Altair and Stephinity Salazar
Owners/Artists:  Boutique Alchemystique

Our favorite item of the night.
Stunning top hat embellished with numerous vintage items.
By Boutique Alchemystique.   

Gorgeous vintage style hat.
All headpieces by Boutique Alchmystique are
adorned with authentic antique items such as watches.

Xavia Schmidt
Owner/Designer: Discerpo Necto Decrepitus

Among items such as miniature hats and bloomers, Xavia
also designs the lovely chokers shown above.

Rin Stewart-Thomas and friends support the event
by donning original designs by Xavia and gorgeous
makeup fit for surreal circus.

We don't have the artist's name but this piece
really caught our eye!

Local burlesque performer Tata Tatiana.

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Photo courtesy of davewoodphotography.com

Handmade dolls by Hope Morgan of Haunted Sparrow.

Maximilian Shiffman - Drummer for Narwal Birdskull.

Photo courtesy of davewoodphotography.com.

Professor Phelyx - A fine Mentalist Magician!
Flanked on either side by unknown,
yet equally silly cohorts.

Ammy Whiteunicorn Gione.
Snakecharmer. 

Photo courtesy of davewoodphotography.com

Dylan Johnson of Cerrious Design,
with Katelin Stagliano.
Offering iPhone covers and usb drives
a la Steampunk inspiration.

Event attendee Aimee L. Matheny wowed us with
her gorgeous getup.

Last but not least, the obligatory Kiss costume.
Worn by George Peele
Baritone Tunesmith and Custom Singing Telegream artiste!

We hope you liked our freak show!  To see more of Denver's rebellious-best, subscribe to our feed.  Like our Denver Subculture Facebook page too. Or we'll find you and kill you.

The long link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Denver-Subculture/204833952880524?ref=ts

F#$! the mainstream!

Mile High Macabre: Now that everyone likes skulls they're so CHEESY!

CHEESMAN PARK
Photo credit:  Cyrus McCrimmon - The Denver Post
(We love this photo Cyrus!  If you have more we'd love to see.)

There are those of us who simply love GRAVEYARDS.  The sense of history, the unease, the silence... It is so interesting to imagine all the scenarios that might have characterized a person’s life between those two dates carved in the stone.  We can spend hours taking photographs, reading epitaphs or just sitting quietly, awaiting something more.  Similarly, CEMETERIES demand quiet respect and a creative mind that can appreciate the mental candy that death serves up.  In case you’re curious, cemeteries differ from graveyards primarily because they are larger, and they are publicly rather than religiously affiliated. In our opinion here at Denver Subculture it is the BURIAL GROUND that evokes the greatest sense of the macabre.  Urns, coffins, caskets, and many of the other traditional vessels of death were often foregone when the dead were interred in burial grounds.  For one reason or another, an overwhelming number of bodies might suddenly require disposal and the only reasonable solution under the circumstances was to bury masses of people together.

In the middle of the 19th century Denver's wild west ways were catching up with the city and bodies were becoming a burden.  This problem gave way to the Mount Prospect cemetery - Denver’s first.  Although the task of burying so many bodies was accomplished, it seems that record keeping was not a high priority.  This proved to be a huge problem when a handful of decades later, Denver decided that the site would be better suited as a park.  To facilitate the plan the city began exhuming the remains, only to find that a lack of records wasn’t the only problem.  Apparently the undertaker associated with the task was less than respectable and took it upon himself to chop the bodies up in order to cram some of them into coffins.  Essentially he combined the concept of cemetery and burial ground in a grotesque example of efficiency!  Needless to say the removal of the bodies was a slipshod effort that was neither precise nor thorough.

This is great news for those of you in the Denver Subculture who love a good dose of creepy.  Guess where this all went down…Cheesman Park!  That’s right, one of your favorite places to meander is a great place to mingle with a skeleton or two.  As a result of the aforementioned ‘sloppy body incident’, skeletons are found in Cheesman Park to this day.  Just last year FOUR were found.  So on one of the upcoming warm winter days that uncharacteristically keep occurring, skip the tired metal detector and become a bone collector for the afternoon.  While the predictable other Denverites are tossing a Frisbee with the dog or getting hammered on a bar patio, you can be spending your time on a treasure hunt like no other. Fuck the mainstream! 

(Disclaimer:  Denver Subculture read about the components of this post in various accounts.  Not all accounts were in agreement, leaving us uncertain as to the exact dates and names associated with the cemetery and park.  As such, we recommend that you further investigate if you want to become an expert.  We whole heartedly feel that the point of importance is the fact that DEAD BODIES are surfacing at Cheesman Park!!!  Rad!)