SAT 4/16
Even when he was 6 years old, Timmy Tatts (a.k.a. Tim Sellers) was scribbling cartoons and caricatures on notebooks and blackboards -- to the dismay of many uptight teachers. Now, Timmy spends the days putting ink to skin as a tattoo artist; in addition, his "doodles" grace gallery walls. Score: Timmy -- 1, institutionalized education -- 0!
Timmy has grown up, and so have his 'toons. Now they feature liquor bottles and voluptuous county-fair girls who may have taken one too many spins on the tilt-a-whirl. Look closely at Tatts' work and you'll notice that beyond the bold-colored cartoons, there's a hint of a back-story, where the viewer can draw her own conclusions. Tatts is inspired by vast influences, including pulp art, Japanese art of the Edo period, a little bit of Tiki, and vintage advertisements. Completely self- taught, he creates canvases out of anything he damn well pleases: plaster sculptures, boards, whatever.
Timmy Tatts' artwork hangs at the Razoo Gallery (3038 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale) from April 16 through May 30. Gallery owner Terry Kost describes the artist's work as "Looney Tunes meets HBO's Carnivale -- only the devil takes the hindmost in Tim's version." Call 954-663-3888, or visit www.timmytatts.com. -- Terra Sullivan
21st-century Sex Ed
Reforming the "sick care system"
THU 4/14
With some pro-life pharmacists refusing to fill birth-control prescriptions, let's take a trip back to the 1990s, when a bold African-American woman stepped up as surgeon general to take a rational stand on the realities of sex. Here was a brave doctor, the daughter of poor Arkansas cotton sharecroppers who had eaten in segregated university cafeterias during medical school. For a nanosecond, masturbation was OK, and everyone was doing it. Of course, for this, the brave doctor was canned. Joycelyn Elders speaks about "Health Care in the 21st Century" at the Crest Theatre (51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach) at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $38.50. Visit www.oldschool.org, or call 561-243-7922. -- Dave Amber
