Reg Mombassa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reg Mombassa is the pseudonym of Chris O'Doherty, a musician for Australian band Dog Trumpet (alongside his brother Peter O'Doherty) and formerly with Australian band Mental As Anything. Worldwide, he is perhaps better known as an artist whose irreverent T-shirt graphics for surfwear company Mambo Graphics made the brand a household name and were later adapted for use in the memorable Sydney 2000 Olympics closing ceremony.
In Reg's words he is inspired by "the wind, semi-professional birthday clowns, heavy machinery and the behavior of domestic animals". He is married with three children and lives in the inner west of Sydney.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Mombassa was born Christopher O'Doherty in Auckland, New Zealand on 14 August 1951. O'Doherty and his family emigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1969, where he attended the what is now the National Art School in Darlinghurst from 1969-70, and again from 1975-1977. In between and whilst there he supported himself with jobs as a builder’s labourer, cleaner, house painter and railway worker and obtained his Diploma of Painting in 1977. In 1976 he formed the rock band Mental as Anything with four fellow art school students. The Mentals went on to become one of Australia’s most popular bands, touring widely in Australia and overseas.
[edit] Art career
Mombassa's first painting exhibition was held at Watters Gallery in Sydney in 1975, and he has exhibited solo shows at Watters almost every second year since 1986. Mombassa ceased touring with the Mentals in April 2000 to concentrate on his art. He works as a freelance graphic designer and is famous for his many posters and album covers and he has worked closely with Mambo Graphics designing t-shirts and other garments, with some of his images achieving iconic status around the world. He is equally as sought after by art collectors for his landscapes and portraits, many of which are inspired by his childhood in New Zealand. Patrick White was an early patron, purchasing many landscapes and portraits in the early 1980s. Other buyers have included Elton John and Ewan McGregor, and his works are featured in many public galleries and collections around Australia.
[edit] Mental As Anything
[edit] Pseudonym
In the early days of the Mentals, the band would often invent pseudonyms for each other that combined an exotic lastname with a common Australian firstname. "Reg Mombassa" was one of the products of that amusement. It is unknown if the extra "s" in Mombasa was deliberate or not.
[edit] Solo and side projects
In 1987, with Peter and Martin and members of GANGgajang, he recorded a country music album credited to The Stetsons. Reg also supplied the iconic lead guitar in GANGgajang's 1985 hit "The Sounds Of Then".
He has also appeared in a number of small Australian films, including Tender Hooks (1989), Strange Planet (1999) and Love's Brother (2004).
[edit] Dog Trumpet
In 1991, Mombassa formed the band Dog Trumpet with his brother Peter O’Doherty. Since leaving the Mentals this has been his sole musical outlet. The group have so far released 3 albums and 2 EPs.
[edit] References
- Zuel, Bernard: Sentimental as anything, The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 June 2002.
