THE MIND AND TIMES OF REG MOMBASSA
MURRAY WALDREN - Harper Collins - $79.99

Last evening at Auckland's new, uber cool Deus ex Machina one of the most remarkable book launches of 2009 was celebrated.
Deus ex Machina (Shed 5, 90 Wellesley St, City) where vintage and custom motorbikes are sold, along with menswear under their own label, where the coffee is superb and the food excellent, is a must-visit location if you haven't already discovered it.

The launch was remarkable for several reasons:

*The stunning location.

*It was organised by the subject of the book, Reg Mombassa, and his friends, with only minor involvement from the publisher.

*The author was unable to be present.

*Superb NZ wines and excellent finger food were delivered in great abundance.

*The size of the audience -it ran to several hundred including many notables from the world of NZ popular music.

*There was a huge selection of Reg Mombassas's art on display, and for sale.

*Reg Mombassa and his brother, Peter O'Doherty's current band, Dog Trumpet, performed two generously long, highly entertaining sessions; Reg signed copies of his biography between sessions!

*The man himself, (pic right, self portrait), a hugely talented musician and an outstanding contemporary artist.

*And of course the book - as someone else said, it is as colourful, entertaining and boldly original as the man himself. (Be warned this is not a book to be read in bed, it is a big heavy one absolutely packed with his art.)



THE MIND AND TIMES OF REG MOMBASSA

Whether you know and love Reg from The Mentals, Mambo or his exquisite fine art, you’ll love this book . . .

‘I’ve always been interested in my surroundings . . . which is basically the outer suburban areas I grew up in, and I fond plenty of things to draw . . . I like ordinary things. I call it the aristocracy of the normal.’ Reg Mombassa

Christopher O’Doherty, aka Reg Mombassa, has infiltrated our culture for more than 30 years with a unique, laconic view of our world . . . and his.
He grew up on Auckland’s North Shore, where he encountered two of the more lasting influences on his life – making music and making mayhem. By the end of the 1960s and his teenage years, Mombassa was living in Sydney.

His wit, sense of mischief and larrikin energy resonated in the songs and performances of one of Australasia’s most beloved bands, Mental As Anything, whose music became the soundtrack to a generation’s misbegotten youth.
His eye for the absurd and his unapologetic idealism captured another generation or three with his irreverent, frequently macabre and always distinctive designs for the original Mambo label.

Yet long before he became a Mental or transformed shirts into collector’s items, Mombassa was first and foremost an artist. From his idiosyncratic pop art to the delicately realised fine art landscapes and images that celebrate and elevate the suburban, his artworks are sought by collectors around the world.

Who else could stage the biggest one-man art show in history at the Sydney Olympics? Who else could have Elvis Costello producing his records, or the likes of Johnny Rotten and Crowded House seeking his record cover designs?

But there is much more to Reg Mombassa, as fellow writer and painter, Murray Waldren shows in this illuminated journey. Illustrated with almost 300 original artworks and packed with photographs, posters and band memorabilia, this is a true collector’s item.