Chris Mars
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Chris Mars | |
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.jpg) Chris Mars in 1984 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christopher Edward Mars |
| Born | April 26, 1961 |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, producer, painter |
| Instrument(s) | Drums |
| Years active | 1979–1996, 2017 (musician) 1996–present (artist) |
| Website | chrismarspublishing |
Chris Mars (born April 26, 1961) is an American painter and musician. He was the drummer for the seminal Minneapolis-based alternative rock band The Replacements from 1979 to 1990, and later joined the informal supergroup Golden Smog before beginning a solo career. While Mars concentrates mainly on his art career, he still occasionally releases new music.
Biography
The Replacements
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In Rolling Stone's Alt Rock-a-Rama, Mars detailed the kind of hell-raising that he and the other Replacements—singer-guitarist Paul Westerberg, lead guitarist Bob Stinson, and bassist Tommy Stinson—indulged in when they were together. Among other incidents, Mars was thrown in jail for playing chicken with an unmarked police car. Also, in conjunction with Bob Stinson, he sabotaged a gig where he knew there would be a lot of record-industry personnel in attendance by going to a novelty store and purchasing some bottles of stink juice. Mars sometimes transformed into an alter ego named Pappy the Clown while on tour; he would paint his face when inebriated and spook the band and road crew.
Mars appeared on only a few songs on the Replacements' final album, All Shook Down (1990), and left before the subsequent tour, unhappy with Westerberg's increasing control of the band.[1]
Solo career
Mars's first solo album,
Mars wasn't interested in touring behind his third album, Tenterhooks (1995), so another band, The Wallmen, toured behind it with a cardboard cutout of Mars placed onstage.[2] He released one more album, Anonymous Botch (1996), before fully turning his full creative attention to his visual-art career.
Mars self-published a fifth album, Note to Self, in 2017.[3] He announced the news on Twitter[4] and later on his Facebook page.[5]
Painting career
His painting style, examples of which grace all of his album covers, is marked by nightmarish landscapes and grotesque, distorted figures. He draws inspiration from his older brother's struggle with schizophrenia.[6]
He generally likes to use oils or pastels, although he ventures into other media, like acrylic and scratchboard. He created a 13-minute animated film about his work titled The Severed Stream.
His work, which has fetched prices of more than $30,000,
Personal life
Mars lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Sally Mars. He attended Central High School in Minneapolis but did not graduate.[10]
Discography
Solo albums
- Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (Smash, 1992)
- 75% Less Fat(Smash, 1993)
- Tenterhooks (Bar/None, 1995)
- Anonymous Botch (Bar/None, 1996)
- Note to Self (self-published, 2017)
Exhibitions and collections
Museum exhibitions (solo)
- 2021: Musee de la Bande Dessinee d'Angouleme, Angouleme, France
- 2010: Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ
- 2010: Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA
- 2010: Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI
- 2010: Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA
- 2010: Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI
- 2009: Longview Museum of Fine Arts, Longview, TX
- 2009: Longview Museum of Fine Arts, Longview, TX
- 2005: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
- 2004: Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA
- 2000: Steensland Art Museum, Northfield, MN
Notes
- ^ "Biography of The Replacements". MTV.com. October 17, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ "Chris Mars". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ "Music". Chris Mars Publishing.
- ^ "Chris Mars (@ChrisMarsArt) | Twitter". Twitter.com.
- ^ "Chris Mars". Facebook.com.
- ^ Bahn, Christopher (March 2006). "Interview: Chris Mars". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ "City Pages – Hospitals of the Spirit". Archived from the original on April 20, 2005.
- ^ "Chris Mars- In Preparation of Barrier Transcendence". Billy Shire Fine Arts. Billy Shire Fine Arts. 2009. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
- Jonathan LeVine Gallery. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ Burger, Kevyn (November 6, 2019). "Minneapolis couple Sally and Chris Mars turn their talents toward rescuing dogs". Star Tribune. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
External links
- Chris Mars site
- Interview with Chris Mars
- Chris Mars' paintings at Beinart Gallery
- Jonathan LeVine Gallery
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