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Nick Blinko
Birth nameNicholas John Blinko
Born (1961-09-04) 4 September 1961 (age 63)
OriginEngland
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, author, artist
Instrument(s)Vocal, guitar
Years active1977–present

Nicholas John Blinko (born 4 September 1961) is a British musician and artist, best known as the lead singer, lyricist, and guitar player for the anarcho-punk band Rudimentary Peni.[1] He is also known for being an "outsider" artist, whose pen-and-ink drawings and paintings have been shown in galleries worldwide.[2] Blinko also creates all the drawings used by the band for its artwork.[3][4]

Career

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Music

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Nicholas John George Blinko's first recorded musical project was the Magits, who formed in 1977 and were primarily electronic. This band's only record, the 1979 7-inch EP Fully Coherent, was the first release on Blinko's Outer Himalayan Records label, and received occasional airplay by John Peel on Radio 1.[5]

His most well-known and longest running band, Rudimentary Peni, formed in 1980 and would go on to release three albums and six EPs spanning 1981–2009. A full-length collection of the first two EPs was also released in 1987.[6][7]

Rudimentary Peni's concept album Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric was allegedly written while Blinko was being detained in a psychiatric hospital under Section 3 of the UK Mental Health Act 1983. The subject matter of the album was purported to be based on the delusions Blinko was experiencing at this time.[8]

Writing

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Blinko has written and illustrated five books. The first, The Primal Screamer, was a fictionalized semi-autobiographical novel with horror elements. It was published in 1995 by Spare Change Books and received a second printing in 1997 and a third in 2002. The book is written as a series of journal entries made by the therapist of "Nathaniel Snoxell" (who starts a band which is never named but is similar to Rudimentary Peni in many ways).[9] This book was reprinted in 2011 by PM Press, and collected artwork used for several previous editions under one cover for the first time.[10] The 2011 edition was distributed by the Alternative Tentacles label.[11]

Blinko's second book, Haunted Head, was published in 2009 by David Tibet via Coptic Cat, in a limited edition of approximately 350 copies. An exclusive micro-edition of 60 copies was also published, featuring an original piece of art, while all copies of the book contained a postcard with a handwritten excerpt from the book. The edition size reflected the number of Blinko's handwritten postcards, from which the text of the book was transcribed, and which were included in the book. The book also included a one-track CD of a song by Rudimentary Peni called "Wilfred Owen The Chances"[12][13] Zagava Books re-issued Haunted Head in three editions in 2024: a lettered edition of 24 examples, a numbered edition of 224 copies and an unlimited paperback edition.[14]

His third book was titled Visions of Pope Adrian 37th. It was published in 2011, again by Coptic Cat, in two extremely limited editions which both included a small piece of original art by Blinko, drawn directly onto a page of the book. The "standard edition" was limited to 370 copies, while the "special edition" was limited to 37. The book included 87 drawings, an introduction by outsider art specialist Colin Rhodes and a brief introduction by Blinko. The artwork in this book was reproduced in its original A5 size.[15][16] Zagava Books also re-issued Vision of Pope Adrian 37th in three editions: a lettered edition of 37 examples which was remarked and signed on the title page; a numbered edition of 222 copies, bound in pope-red velvet and came with a small signed drawing of a cat on a 10.5 by 10.5 cm paper, presented in a transparent envelope; and an unlimited A4 paperback edition.[17][18]

The fourth book, Nick Blinko with an essay by Dr. Colin Rhodes, was published by Zagava Books in 2020 as A4-sized art book in three edition: a lettered edition in a large portfolio binding, signed and remarked on title page (Blinko also added some stickers to this page);a numbered edition 275 copies with 12 fold-out-pages; and an unlimited A4-sized paperback.[19][20]

Nick Blinko's fifth book were his sketchbooks, simply titled The Sketchbooks of Nick Blinko. Three sketchbooks in the original format of 11 by 15 cm bound in black leatherette, resembling the original Dale sketchbooks Blinko used, were issued as a three-book-set in an edition of 500 examples.[21] The sketchbook titled was published in an unlimited edition.[22]

Blinko also contributed to a collection of punk fiction short stories, Gobbing, Pogoing and Gratuitous Bad Language!: An Anthology of Punk Short Stories by Stewart Home (1996-04-06), published in 1996 by Spare Change Books. His story, "Punk Alice" (a reference to Rudimentary Peni's song "Alice Crucifies the Paedophiles"), is written in a sketchbook style of doodles and scribbled phrases referencing the death of punk, chess, Catholicism, depression, goth, Rudimentary Peni lyrics and drug chemicals.[23]

Art

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Blinko has contributed album artwork to several musical projects aside from his own. Among these are Part 1's 1985 release Pictures of Pain, released on Pushead's label Pusmort;[24] Coil's 1997 release, Unnatural History III, released on Threshold House;[23] Iron Lung's 2007 Prank Records release Sexless//No Sex;[25] Omaniescum Aorisum's 2013 Solitude Records release Mademoiselle Hélène;[26] and Fire in the Head's 2010 release Confessions of a Narcissist.[27] He also contributed musically to two releases by Fire in the Head.

Blinko's artwork has been shown internationally and featured in books and magazines related to the field of outsider art. An exhibition at the National Schizophrenia Fellowship in 1994 first brought his art to public attention; he is now represented in the Collection de l'art brut in Lausanne.[28] He had a show at Kinz + Tillou Gallery in New York City in 2006.[29] Some of Blinko's artwork was featured at the Portland, Oregon art exhibit "Entartete Kunts" in June 2009.[30] In 2011, he had a solo exhibit titled "Visions of Pope Adrian 37th" at Pallant House Gallery in the U.K.[31]

Colin Rhodes' Outsider Art: Spontaneous Alternatives, published by Thames & Hudson in 2000,[32] featured Blinko's art and a description of his working process.[33][28]

Blinko had a solo exhibition PunkStone at Stone Space gallery, Leytonstone, London in 2024. [34] This location recognised the link to Rudimentary Peni’s first gig at the Red Lion pub in Leytonstone in 1981, representing Blinko’s return to the area, some 43 years later.

Personal life

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Blinko lives in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire.[35] He has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.[36] Blinko's younger brother is Timothy Blinko, composer and Professor of Music at the University of Hertfordshire.[37]

References

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  1. ^ Gardner, Noel (20 April 2021). "The Strange World Of... Rudimentary Peni". The Quietus. London: Black Sky Thinking Ltd.
  2. ^ "Nick Blinko profile at Henry Boxer Gallery". outsiderart.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 March 2005. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  3. ^ "Discogs.com Collection of albums & EPs featuring artwork by Nick Blinko". discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  4. ^ "Kinz and Tillou Fine Art 2006 Gallery profile". ktfineart.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  5. ^ "The Magits Fully Coherent 7″ review". goodbadmusic.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  6. ^ "Discogs.com listing for Rudimentary Peni". discogs.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  7. ^ ""Somewhere Out There", 2008 Article/interview in Plan B Magazine by Noel Gardener". pissinapod.com. Plan B Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 December 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  8. ^ "Southern Records listing for Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric". Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  9. ^ Blinko, Nick (12 December 2011). The Primal Screamer. PM Press. ISBN 9781604863314.
  10. ^ "Primal Screamer on Independent Publishers Group". ipgbook.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  11. ^ "Primal Screamer listing on Alternative Tentacles". alternativetentacles.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  12. ^ "The Haunted Head by Nick Blinko archived on copticcat.com". copticcat.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  13. ^ "brainwashed.com listing - Haunted Head". brainwashed.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  14. ^ "The Haunted Head - Zagava". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Nick-Blinko-Visions-of-Pope-Adrian-37th-now-available-for-order". copticcat.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  16. ^ "Visions of Pope Adrian". spectacularoptical.ca. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  17. ^ "Vision of Pope Adrian 37th - Lettered edition". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  18. ^ "Vision of Pope Adrian 37th - Numbered edition". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  19. ^ "Nick Blinko - Lettered edition". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Nick Blinko - Numbered edition". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  21. ^ "The Sketchbooks of Nick Blinko - Three-Book-Set". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  22. ^ "The Sketchbook of Nick Blinko". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Blinko profile at British Outsider Art.net". britishoutsiderart.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  24. ^ "Part 1 Pictures of Pain at Discogs.com". discogs.com. 1985. Archived from the original on 10 March 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  25. ^ "Iron Lung Sexless-No Sex at Discogs.com". discogs.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  26. ^ "Omaniescum Aorisum Mademoiselle Hélène" at Discogs.com". discogs.com. 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  27. ^ "specialinterests.net listing of F/I/T/H "Confessions of a Narcissist"". special-interests.net. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  28. ^ a b "The Devil is in the Detail, article by Tony Thorne in Raw Vision Magazine, issue 17 Winter 1996/97". Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  29. ^ "Nick Blinko Viewing Gallery May 11 - July 8, 2006". Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  30. ^ "ENTARTETE KUNTS returns to Portland in June 2009!". 4 April 2009. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  31. ^ "Colin reviews Nick Blinko's 'Visions of Pope Adrian 37th' on show at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester until 14 August". Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  32. ^ "Thames & Hudson Catalogue listing". Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  33. ^ "Nick Blinko profile at Henry Boxer Gallery". Archived from the original on 6 March 2005. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  34. ^ "PunkStone". Stone Space gallery.
  35. ^ "Nick Blinko profile at discover outsider art.com". Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  36. ^ Daniel Wojcik (2016). Outsider Art: Visionary Worlds and Trauma. University Press of Mississippi. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-4968-0807-3. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  37. ^ "Professor Timothy Blinko - Research Database - University of Hertfordshire". Researchprofiles.herts.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
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