Songs for Ted Dragon

A collection of songs written and performed by Mark Golamco inspired by the life of Ted Dragon. A former dancer for the New York City Ballet, Ted Dragon was arrested in the winter of 1959 for breaking and entering through several of the most exclusive estates in the Hamptons where he lived. Dragon stole vast quantities of priceless art and antiques, in addition he allegedly removed large statuary, oriental rugs and massive chandeliers using only what he described as  "ballet strength". Following his apprehension and subsequent return of their belongings, Dragon's neighbors were further astonished to find that their stolen property had been exquisitely refurbished.

Ted Dragon was the lover of Alfonso Ossorio, the Abstract Expressionist painter whose wealth and connections granted Dragon a view of an elite world that he would never be accepted by. Mark Golamco wrote Songs for Ted Dragon as an homage to Dragon and Ossorio's companionship, where frustrations with life as "some kept thing" ultimately propelled Dragon into an actual confinement.

Mark Golamco is from San Francisco and lives in New York. His first solo exhibition was at the Black Dragon Society in Los Angeles in 2001. Since then he has shown work and performed at Cirrus Gallery, Envoy Enterprises, Art in General, the Sculpture Center, and Dixon Place. He will be joined this evening by Nick Dalton, Rachel Mason and Herbert Mendoza.

****
 
Rachel Mason will be performing a solo set of songs to welcome Springtime and will be joining and joined by Mark Golamco.

Rachel Mason is a songwriter, performer and sculptor. She was dubbed “Marvelously Strange” by Jerry Saltz of the Village Voice and her songs, “bat-shit unhinged.” She has recorded five full length albums, at times inhabiting the minds of historic figures, and writing autobiographically about heartbreak and working in a nursing home. She performs solo and at times backed by a full band, alternating between costume changes, instruments and collaborators. She staged a rock opera with 30 dancers at the Park Avenue Armory. She recently performed with Larkin Grimm and has been featured on a compilation CD with Devendra Banhart, Josephine Foster, and Kath Bloom. Her sculpture and music have been featured in The Village Voice, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Flash Art, Art News, Artforum, Her work has been shown at the James Gallery at CUNY, University Art Museum in Buffalo, Sculpture Center, Hessel Museum of Art at Bard, Circus Gallery, and she has performed at the Kunsthalle Zurich, The Park Avenue Armory, Tonic, Art in General, La Mama, Galapagos and the Slipper Room.