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START
Bella
Hagen and Dom Casual have been each
other's muse for a good many years, but
it is only recently that this intimate,
artistic support-group have grown
beyond their subtle tacit
singularities; Following near identical
orbits around the body of California's
performance arts circuit; Disturbing
Middle-America's mental myopia with
highly individual acts of auricular
adversity. Since '95 the sum became
greater than the parts; The melding of
man/woman, yin/yang became complete and
"Come Fly With Me Nude" (CFWMN) was
released upon a totally unsuspecting
public. Continuing their unrelenting
assault on the people of the world,
they have now announced the imminent
release of a new textual corroboration
which promises to surpass all other
literary works of recent times. So, who
are these entities that have been
likened to a tsunami of Byronian
Ferlinghettis? How did they find each
other, let alone themselves, amidst the
detritus of pop USA?
Wayward: What catalyst
caused this big-bang?
Bella: Its genesis was
almost eerie. I was returning home from
my Rolfing for Creative Personalities
class, when I was struck by the beauty
of the flowers outside a small florist.
I was inspired to indulge myself, and
couldn't decide between the Phlox
Drummondi and the Delphinium Consoldia.
Now mind you, this struggle to choose
was purely internal, I'd not vocalized
my conflict, when this soothing voice
behind me said "the Delphinium
Consoldia." I turned to see Dom
standing there, nodding gently,
assuredly. Of course I recognized him
right away; who hasn't seen his
performance piece "I Miss Me", and I
knew he was right--about the flowers.
But more important, he answered my
questions, heard my thoughts, and
completed my purchase. It was fate.
Wayward: You were both
held up as untouchable divas of the
performance art world. What did you
stand to gain by becoming a single
amalgam?
Dom:
Neither gain nor loss was
ever considered. We simply did what we
had to do. What we were chosen to
do.
Bella: Actually, we
have an affordable health plan
available to us now. And we got a
decent tax break.
Wayward: What is your
response to those people who would have
your work banned and labeled as the
worst form of gutter literature?
Dom:
First, we ask that they
read it.
Wayward: So, you deny
that much of what you write is purely
for shock value?
Bella: I've never heard
that before. We have been accused of
writing purely for schlock value.
Simply, we speak the truth. I suppose
the truth is shocking to some.
Wayward: Then you're not
just "riding the wave of controversy"
and "exploiting sensationalism," as the
London Times reviewer states?
Bella: That's rather
amusing. The New York Times said we
were sensationalizing exploitation.
Wayward: Is there any
truth in the rumor that the PBS channel
asked to produce a biographical
documentary on you both and that you
felt this to be a plot to trivialize
your art?
Dom:
I don't see how you could
possibly trivialize it.
Wayward: CFWMN seemed to
pull on the apron strings of the past
thirty years or so of US Pop culture.
Does this make you the Bradys of
poetry?
Dom:
My approach to writing
more like that of Keith Partridge, and
Bella is my erstwhile sister Laurie.
More than a keyboardist: part Tracy,
always ready with a tambourine.
Wayward: The piece
entitled "Come Fly With Me Nude, Santa"
appears to be some sick sexual fantasy
about a jolly, old, fat man. Surly
there are greater depths here to be
plumbed.
Bella: No, we simply
wanted to write a lighthearted, festive
childrens poem for the holidays.
Dom:
We thought the children
needed a voice. We wanted to
crystallize how they really felt about
Christmas.
Wayward: So, the "Santa"
here is more of a prototypical
representation of the Satanic nature of
Western materialism ...
Dom:
Ask the children. Simply
ask the children.
Wayward: If you had to
capture the essence of your work as a
single image, what picture would you
paint, who would be the artist and what
materials would be used to craft the
image?
Dom:
Play
Doh...SpiroGraph...Etch-a-Sketch...Lite
Brite; Bella and I illuminate each
other in the mixed-media of our youth.
I'm real big on Spam carvings because
they're edible.
Wayward: .... Interesting
... and why did you choose these
materials?
Bella: Clearly we live
in the past.
Wayward: Well, I'm not
entirely sure that what you're saying
makes sense in the Newtonian universe
that we inhabit ....
Dom:
Obviously I've reaped
nepotism's fruit. Living in uncle
Wayne's shadow was both a blessing and
curse. But to credit a whole universe
to him, even at his egotistical best I
don't think he'd go that far.
Wayward: .... So you're
trying to reach that other plain
....
Dom:
You're not listening,
cocksucker.
Wayward: Earlier you
mentioned "cocks". Would this be an
adroit reference to farm animals and
how the human sexual act is
animalistic?
Dom:
No, clearly it's the human
penis. Whoops! Can I say penis?
Wayward: I see ... please
go on ...
Bella: I see the animal
sex act as very humanistic.
Wayward: That's rather
offensive .... don't you think?
Bella: Have you ever
seen two farm animals - nude farm
animals - make love? It's
very...
Wayward: You lost me
there .... can we back up a bit ... to
what you were saying about the male
organ?
Dom:
No more, I was finished.
Now it is you who fixates.
Wayward: Me fixating!
You're the ones who write this
stuff.
Dom:
Hey, you're asking the
questions.
Wayward: Okay ... let's
move on to your new book ...
Bella: It's a sequel,
"Come Swim With Me Nude." It's filled
with anecdotes, poems, and short
stories, all of hope and inspiration.
To us.
Wayward: ... yes ... I've
heard this described as mainstream. How
do you respond to that and the
assertion that you're selling
out?
Bella: Selling out
implies that people are buying our
books, which is a fascinating thought.
As for mainstream, I think we're
finally reaching our understanders -
and there are many of them - who've
been waiting for a voice.
Wayward: Have either of
you heard about the Internet and do you
find it useful in your art?
Bella: We're vehemently
against it, since we can no longer
communicate with the children in our
favorite chat rooms. It seems the
POLICE [Parents Opposing Lewd Internet
Chatroom Exhibitionists] don't want us
to reach them [their children]. And
that's a shame.
Wayward: Now that you've
worked poems and short stories, where
do you intend going next? Is there a
novel or play on the horizon?
Dom:
We're working on a picture
deal with Disney. It's in the very,
very, very early stages. I don't want
to give away too much, but the working
title is "Have You Seen My Hymen?".
It's based on Lewis Carroll's lesser
known masterpiece "Alice in
Hymenland."
Wayward: And beyond that
... What does the future hold?
Bella: We're not
terribly future-oriented. Although it's
been suggested that we retain a good
attorney. But we're optimistic; a bumpy
legal road would only give us fuel for
the fire, fodder for fiction.
Dom:
I'm going to EuroDisney!
Bella: Amen!
FIN
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