A Dark And Enlightening Journey: Part 2 of 10

OVERVIEW

If you read this blog on any kind of regular basis you probably know that Borg Queen is a multidisciplinary art project where I get to use literally every creative and technical discipline that I've ever been trained in. For each song that I write, I do a painting to visually convey the concept behind the song because the way I look at is that why not use as many mediums as possible to explore all the facets of the idea I'm communicating through sight and sound. My latest album Sex, Drugs and Shiny Brass Poles is 10 songs, 10 paintings and 3 music videos telling the story of how I learned the some of the most important lessons in life from working as a stripper. Each post in this series will be a detailed analysis of each song and painting from the album. Today's piece is the title track/painting Sex, Drugs and Shiny Brass Poles.

SEX, DRUGS AND SHINY BRASS POLES

Sex, Drugs and Shiny Brass Poles is the second piece in the series and is a continuation of the story. This Is Real, the first painting in the series focuses on the pressures one experiences when entering adulthood, particularly the role finances(or lack there of) play in our emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. In This Is Real the protagonist has become blinded by the pursuit of wealth because she sees money as the solution to her problems.

Both the paintings and the songs blend conceptually into each other as well as sonically. When you listen to the album in it's entirety on CD one song flows into the next. I did this on purpose because the storyline of each piece is tied to the one before and after it. Sex, Drugs and Shiny Brass Poles is the appearant solution to the problem presented in This Is Real. However, the financial solution presented in SDSBP begins to create a whole new set of problems for the protagonist. She becomes consumed by her environment, and what she thought was her salvation has become her prison.

Don't get me wrong, I really like strip clubs and my intention was not to cast a negative light on strip clubs in particular, but rather on the hollow pursuit of material wealth. The protagonist could have just as well chosen any other profession and become consumed by her environment and lost her identity and sense of purpose.

SYMBOLS

Every symbol within this painting is tied to the idea of forming a symbiotic relationship with the strip club environment. The subjects are no longer autonomous individuals and have been transformed into creatures attached to the poles. I exaggerated the breasts and buttocks in a fetishistic way to show that these women are no longer viewed as "real people" but are simple the sum of ideal feminine characteristics.

The colors and lighting are all about creating a mood. If you've ever set foot into a strip club, you'll have noticed that the lighting really sets the mood and while your eyes may be feasting on flesh it is never truly the color of natural skin, so that's why my three subjects are not flesh tone. I also wanted portray them as skeletal to show that they have been reduced to nothing but flesh and bone.

Sex, Drugs and Shiny Brass Poles

Fine Art Print Available here https://www.borg-queen-music.com/paintings

The arrangement of the subjects is akin to the traditional crucifixion scene with the center subject sacrificing herself for money. The woman on the left snorting the cocaine is caught in the endless cycle of addiction. I painted her body into a contorted loop with her foot stepping on her own head to show that addiction is a cycle as well as something that is self-imposed. The woman on the right has lost her identity as a result of her addiction and has become the physical manifestation of alcoholism. I painted this particular figure to represent myself. The blood pouring out of the bottle attached to her arm is symbolizes me pouring my soul out on to the stage. This is one of those double meaning images I like to use. Pouring out my soul into stage performances is both comforting, but also draining. It kept me sane, but also left me empty because it never seemed like it was enough.

LYRICS & MUSIC

The song can be purchased as a single or part of the album on my WEBSITE

Sex, Drugs & Shiny Brass Poles

We're oh so pretty
We're young and we're bold
We're oh so pretty
And we'll never grow old
We're oh so pretty x4

Welcome to the room where no one grows old
A shining new world awaits
There’s no cover charge
You pay with your soul
The glamour of seduction will swallow you whole
(We’re oh so pretty)
Welcome to the room where no one grows old
A shining new world awaits
There’s no cover charge
You pay with your soul
The glamour of seduction will swallow you whole

Sex drugs and shiny brass poles
Follow me down into the hole
Sex drugs and shiny brass poles
Follow me down x 2
Yeah, swallow me down
Into the hole

Your hollow existence will finally be filled
You’ve got money and acclaim
While they keep throwing you more bills

Sex drugs and shiny brass poles
Follow me down into the hole
Sex drugs and shiny brass poles
Follow me down x 2
Yeah, swallow me down
Into the hole
(We’re oh so pretty)
Live only for tonight
And don’t look to tomorrow
And don’t you ever wake up
Cause all you’ll see is sorrow

Live only for tonight
And don’t look to tomorrow
And don’t you ever wake up
Cause all you’ll see is sorrow
Sorrow, sorrow, sorrow

Sex drugs and shiny brass poles
Follow me down into the hole
Sex drugs and shiny brass poles
Follow me down x 2
Yeah, swallow me down x3
Into the hole

Live only for tonight
And don’t look to tomorrow
And don’t you ever wake up
Cause all you’ll see is sorrow

Live only for tonight
And don’t look to tomorrow
And don’t you ever wake up
Cause all you’ll see is sorrow 

A Dark And Enlightening Journey: Part 1 of 10

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

If you read this blog on any kind of regular basis you probably know that Borg Queen is a multidisciplinary art project where I get to use literally every creative and technical discipline that I've ever been trained in. One of the reasons I named the project "Borg Queen" is in reference to a line from the movie Star Trek: First Contact where the borg queen character is first introduced. Data asks the queen who she is and she says to him, "I am the one who is many." In this project I, Jenny Kirby, am the one who is many. In the musical realm am a composer, lyricist, singer, instrumentalist, producer and audio engineer. For live and video performances I'm an actor, choreographer, dancer, character designer, costume designer, set designer, scenic artist, storyboard artist, makeup artist, prop maker, set dresser and art director. For the visual component of what I do ie. the paintings I am of course a painter and digital artist as well as an entrepreneur with a business education background. So, you could say I wear a LOT of hats and use a combination of traditional and digital media and tools to create worlds. Because I am the one who is many and my technique is all about merging the organic with the synthetic I feel Borg Queen is an effective metaphor. Plus, I'm a huge Trekkie.

OVERVIEW

For each song that I write, I do a painting to visually convey the concept behind the song because the way I look at is that why not use as many mediums as possible to explore all the facets of the idea I'm communicating through sight and sound. My latest album Sex, Drugs and Shiny Brass Poles is 10 songs, 10 paintings and 3 music videos telling the story of how I learned the some of the most important lessons in life from working as a stripper. Each post in this series will be a detailed analysis of each song and painting from Sex, Drugs & Shiny Brass Poles.

THIS IS REAL

This Is Real is about harsh reality that slaps you in the face during early adulthood. It's about the crushing weight of responsibility and that moment reality sets in and you realize that despite having, goals, talent, ambition and even a plan, there are circumstances out of your control and things rarely go according to plan. It's about shattered dreams, disillusionment and ultimately trying to cope with depression and anxiety when you feel like you're utterly failing in life. You start to feel like despite all your hard work you're not getting ahead or you're not getting to where you want to be in life fast enough. You question yourself. You lose faith. You lose hope and your youthful optimism dies.  In my case I turned to drugs and alcohol to cope and thought that if only I had enough money then I could solve my problems and get to where I want to be.

SYMBOLS

The painting is laced with visual symbols some of them with double meaning like the coins over the eyes that not only represent death, but also being blinded by the pursuit of material wealth. The smashed pumpkin and shattered glass slippers represent broken dreams and shattered idealism. In other words coming to grips with reality when your fairytale vision of how you think your adult life is going to be doesn't quite work out. The images of the shattered dreams are purposefully placed above the subjects head to show that she is being crushed the weight pressures of adult responsibility.  The bloodied feet are walking a painful path as the blood spills out and drips down into a wine glass which is part of the main subjects arm representing drinking your sorrow. The subject is emaciated looking on purpose to show that she is spiritually bankrupt and her only salvation is money.

This Is Real

Fine art print available here https://www.borg-queen-music.com/paintings

LYRICS & MUSIC

The song can be purchased as a single or part of the album on my WEBSITE

This Is Real

This ain’t no fairy tale (This is real) 

A riches to rags story (This is real) 

Cinderella used to be queen x 2 

But now her glass slippers are shattered 

Her ball gown is torn and tattered 

Dark voices start to whisper inside of her head 

Prince Charming is that slob snoring beside her in bed 

And all seems lost that ever mattered 

This ain’t a fairy tale (This is real) 

A riches to rags story (This is real) 

Cinderella used to be queen x 2 

But now her glass slippers are shattered 

Her ball gown is torn and tattered 

Before he came along 

She used to follow her dreams 

But now she sits in silence 

And just swallows her screams 

And all seems lost x 4 

Her God, her God she has forsaken 

She’s been consumed her soul is taken 

Mammon is her saviour now (He’s her only comfort) x2 

Money is god and he’s demanding his sacrifice x 4 

I don’t know what to do any more 

I’ve given up my dreams cause they just won’t come true 

My fairy godmother’s a myth and I hope you are too.(This ain’t no fairy tale) 

I don’t know what to do any more 

I’ve given up my dreams cause they just won’t come true 

My fairy godmother’s a myth and I hope you are too. .(This ain’t no fairy tale) 

I don’t know what to do any more 

I’ve given up my dreams cause they just won’t come true 

My fairy godmother’s a myth and I hope you are too. .(This ain’t no fairy tale)