It's cliché to speak of the varieties of visual expression as "mark-making," although of course that's ultimately what art is. The term's become just another part of the jargon by now. But marks – marks with an expert pen, crosshatching like you wouldn't believe, precise shading via thousands of dark lines, talented manipulation of ink for days – marks of that high caliber are what distinguished the postering creations and fine art projects of Austin's
Micael Priest. Well, that
and the imagination that forced those marks to brilliantly evoke
so much of this weird-ass city's music culture in the Seventies and Eighties and beyond. And now Priest himself has gone, as they say, beyond –
he died on September 11th of this year – and the city's that much less wonderful because of his passing. But this is the time to celebrate the man's legacy!
SouthPop's hosting a memorial party for Priest at the Armadillo World HQ – with much art and live music and remembrances – and you're invited. Please email any stories you’d like to share at the memorial. Also, "Wear a Hawaiian shirt, if you have one," the organizers suggest, "as Micael often did."