David James and son Seven, atop the Los Feliz Club Apartments with Vermont Ave in the background. The Onyx Cafe was located on the spot (bright-strobe) in the photo behind them. This 'spot' now is occupied by Figaro Cafe.
I've just learned of the death of an artist/friend Talloy San Diego just recently. This photo above was taken at my pad a while back. Talloy together with artists- Rey Zipagan, Buds Floriano and the late-Comic book- artist Fred Alcala, dropped by for a visit and brought "pancit"--filipino version of Chinese noodles, that he cooked up. Everyone at the Onyx Cafe pretty much knew Talloy. Talloy just like all the other filipino artists were scholarly but Talloy was the "propaganda type" meaning, he would try to shove every manifestation of his "genius" in your face, which made him quite a character. He was a good chess player, a great cook and of course, he is an accomplished artist dating back --"Marcos" era. Talloy writes(below) as what he thinks an artist is..
" I believe that the Artist has a role to fulfill and that is the commitment to the honor and dignity of humanity as a living force of society, environment and history. The artist is the cultivator of civilization, like the farmer who perspires from dawn until dusk to let live the fruits of a bountiful harvest... Ours is a voyage for a step to that pathway of identity of who we are, never to transit to a blanket of dictums that could never patch wounds that shall never heal. The conception of opposites resulted in revolutions with humanity -- the sacrificial romance of lost civilizations and ecological devastations. The political animal in man is measured by one's greed for wealth and power. History never learned from mistakes, blemished by continuous bloody wars amongst races -- thus destruction! Time therefore passes pages of yesterdays with no turning back. The adventure of experience and acquired intelligence shall be one's pillar of force, strength, energy and wisdom -- Our guiding path as a worker of what is TRUTH! "
i asked my wife if there was anything left on the "honey dew(DO)" list before i head out to the :" Tribal Cafe's grand opening. "Yes" she says-- there's stefani's training cups that needs cleaning. (see photo above).
the guys -- eric pan, dave weidman, darrell, dave rockello, myself and stefani, steve allan griffin, larry stevens and of course, joshua jose were hanging at the tribal café, kindof like a dry-run, actually i was there for the "free" cappuccinos. pixs of the rest of the gang will follow on this entry.
DID VICTOR BALOGH ALSO DO THE WALLS? BEAUTIFUL WORK !
"I don't care about making photography an art," said Mr. Steichen. "I want to make good photographs. I'd like to know who first got it in his head that dreaminess and mist is art.
Take things as they are; take good photographs and the ART WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF."
the PHOTO GALLERY containing photographs taken at the Onyx Café is work in progress, most of these scanned negatives were recently unearthed. since i've benefitted a great deal from the onyx cafe(free coffee, etc.), it's now payback time to mr. john leech and to every soul i hung out with, with my photographs. enjoy!!!
the Onyx Café was more than just an institutional cafe to most of the regulars and myself. it was a "state of mind" without the aid of any mind altering pill. it was a place where you can actually feel how "timeless" the place was. it was a conglomerated convergence of people from all walks of life. from hollywood celebs to suitcase-geared travelling bohemians introducing themselves, and being welcomed (and not interrupting any intellectual arguments). it was the crossroads to every major city on this planet. it was happening! day and night, into day again. amidst the aroma of the coffee lingering in the air, there was also, all kinds of drama. but we will not go there. you can never complain about the taste of espressos and cappuccinos served here, nor how the architectural facade of the place appeared, nor even how people looked or dressed. people come here for the same one thing that everyone else is seeking --- and it's not just the java. it is.. NIRVANA. yep. and the whole crowd was experiencing it collectively.
