The Crud Muffins are an Australian art collective and not for profit group from the Central Coast of NSW who aim to show the world the value of art, creation, collaboration and community.
To achieve this, they release art and toys, create large scale installations and happenings, oversee public collaborative projects, host workshops and a whole lot more!
With the crew stating,
“We’re passionate about creating art and immersive, interactive art spaces which inspire people to indulge their imagination, explore their creativity and consider the broad scope of what art is and can be.
Most of what we collaboratively create has a whimsical, handmade, crafty aesthetic full of colour, intricacy, and texture which chronicles the imaginative realm known as the NadRad.
Besides our multicoloured maximalist installations, we’re also known for our colouring-in zines (popularly referred to as “the little books”) which we’ve been distributing everywhere we go since 2017.
More recently, we’ve also incorporated Bo Dangle’s Bodoption into our repertoire of absurdity thanks to Bo Dangle’s rampant reproduction and our love of toys, especially plushies.“
Wanting to get to know more about the group, we sent them some questions to answer over email.
Getting Acquainted
City, State and Country you guys currently call home?
We’re currently based predominantly from our family home on the Central Coast, NSW in Australia.
Please explain the who, what, and why of The Crud Muffins and Crud Works?
WHO:
The Crud Muffins have a handful of creatives at our core who are the driving force of the collective, but we collaborate with tens of other like-minded souls in various capacities and with varying levels of commitment to the CRUD cause.
With Mama Stardust, Daddy-O Dank, Tik, Justin, Sam, Niki, Ben, DB, Bo Dangle and Willy Gurl being the main Muffins.
WHAT:
We’re passionate about creating art and immersive, interactive art spaces which inspire people to indulge their imagination, explore their creativity and consider the broad scope of what art is and can be.
Most of what we collaboratively create has a whimsical, handmade, crafty aesthetic full of colour, intricacy, and texture which chronicles the imaginative realm known as the NadRad.
Besides our multicoloured maximalist installations, we’re also known for our colouring-in zines (popularly referred to as “the little books”) which we’ve been distributing everywhere we go since 2017.
More recently, we’ve also incorporated Bo Dangle’s Bodoption into our repertoire of absurdity thanks to Bo Dangle’s rampant reproduction and our love of toys, especially plushies.
(Some photos of some recent Crud Muffins public installations and collaborative workshops.)
WHY:
When we first started making art together we thought it was funny to refer to what we were creating as “crudworks” seeing as they weren’t refined masterpieces, or even fully fleshed-out artworks a lot of the time.
It took the pressure off to make art that was unashamedly “cruddy,” so we started sharing it online on Insty as @crudworks.
Embracing “cruddyness” has unintentionally informed our creative practice and how we operate as a collective.
Our art, installations, and workshops aim to prompt people to reconsider what art is, can be, and who it’s created by and for.
By making art together both collaboratively and as a creative community in each other’s company, we’ve experienced the transformative, unifying, and uplifting power of art firsthand.
Sharing what we’ve gained through this experience with others so that they can experience it too is a huge driving force for the continuation of what we do!
(Some of the many Crud Muffins zines released so far. Most of which are released in black and white – to be coloured in by their owners.)
When and why did you all first start collaborating?
… and any pivotal moment(s) / influence(s)?
It all started when 5 of us began hanging out regularly at the end of 2014 (or around then) and doodling while we watched TV and played video games together.
Before long we’d covered Justin’s tiny kitchen in drawings of absurd and hilarious beings who came from the world all our art chronicled called the NadRad.
We named our group chat on Facebook “The Crud Muffins” after a silly Mad Libs story which particularly tickled us and the name stuck.
We accidently ended up at a doof in early 2017 with a colouring-in zine introducing who we were in hand, attending with Tik and Sam’s family under the assumption it was an “eco-focused sustainability outdoor camping festival” (which wasn’t wrong… but also wasn’t right either). It was here that our Narnia-inspired NadRad narrative, about a group of friends discovering a portal to another realm in their kitchen-sink cupboard and exiting into an otherworldly festival through a public toilet cubicle, played out before our very eyes:
People in bizarre costumes and outlandish dress, intricate interdimensional art and objects glimmered and glistened from all corners, and alien-sounding music blasted from stages pulsating with patterns.
(Photos of The Crud Muffins and some of their friends.)
We were blown away by the experience! The boundless expression, creativity, and innovation of every aspect of the event filled us with inspiration and prompted us to throw ourselves headfirst into the subculture.
We were enthralled by the magic of doofs and started attending as many as possible with our original doof neighbours, now close friends, collaborators, and Crud Muffins in their own right.
Each event we attended our campsite evolved, eventually to the point where we were involved in an official capacity at large, sometimes out-of-state, events including Esoteric Festival, Strawberry Fields Festival, and Burning Seed.
That same year we attended our first doof we were accepted into an exhibition at Gosford Regional Gallery for emerging artists where we moved our entire multi-coloured living room into the exhibition space.
This was a huge milestone for us considering only Tik had the qualifications, experience, and confidence to call herself an artist, with the other Crud Muffins being mostly self-taught.
Since then we’ve started working towards bringing our immersive, interactive creative spaces and arts workshops to our local community on the Central Coast at community events and in council funded activations of community spaces.
Inspired by Meow Wolf and CoSM over in the US, our dream is to have our own permanent public space on the Central Coast which will feature an immersive, interactive installation as well as provide a space within which to host exhibitions, workshops and operate as an open studio for the community.
What objects and art do you all create – both individually and collectively?
We create art in a variety of mediums and forms both as a collective and individually.
As The Crud Muffins Inc we’re well-known in particular circles for our intricately illustrated colouring-in zines and are easily identified at events thanks to our rainbow marquee which is custom printed with our depictions of NadRadian characters we hand-drew and digitised as vector art.
Our immersive installations are created using all sorts of stuff from second-hand goods and upcycled items to random donations and side-of-the-road finds.
In our collection we have painted wooden cut-outs, paper mâché sculptures, crochet décor, and mannequin dioramas.
The house most of us live in together is floor to ceiling with works on paper we’ve doodled with markers, gel pens, felt-tips and any other art supplies which make their way into our hands.
Collaborative canvases and boards facilitated at previous events also adorn our walls, typically unwanted artworks donated to us or salvaged from the roadside which we invite people to work into with acrylic ink markers.
We also occasionally create wearables such as hand-drawn badges, kitsch jewelry, and vibrant costumes. Offer merch such as prints and stickers; and midwife Bo-Me’s thanks to our love of plush toys.
Individually each of us specialises and dabbles in different mediums from hand-stitching, machine sewing, embroidery and crochet, to electroforming, woodworking, polymer clay sculpting, painting, and drawing.
We also span a variety of styles including abstract, expressive, visionary, surrealist, cartoony, and realistic works.
(Some solo art by the various Crud Muffins.)
Group motto(s)?
As a collective we aim to nourish imagination, inspire creativity, and empower the artist within.
We often find ourselves encouraging each other; visitors to our space and workshop participants with, “You got this!”
We know you often talk about and feature in your works a magical place called the NadRad…
For those at home who may be unaware… What exactly is the NadRad?
…and how can people visit it?
The NadRad is an elusive realm which is difficult to pinpoint because, much like reality itself, what it is exactly depends entirely on perception and belief to define and experience it.
The NadRad has been described by some as being akin to the astral realm, collective subconscious, a parallel universe, junction point of the multiverse, or another dimension.
It’s the place in which myths and deities, supernatural beings, aliens and entities from all across the globe at all stages from history are born and reside.
To us, whatever the NadRad is, we’re relatively certain it’s a place which imagination both originates from and continues to create. Therefore, there are as many portals to the NadRad as there are ways to stimulate the human imagination, from dreams and stories, to artmaking and meditation.
What role do The Crud Muffins play in the magical Bodangle Bodoption program?
… and how did the Bo’s and the program come to exist?
One day for some reason we all only have a vague recollection of, Bo Dangle was born. Seeing as Bo has a tendency to rarely help out much with CRUD stuff we joked that it would be hilarious if he ended up being our most valued and valuable contributor one day.
Since Bo became a father, the universe decided it would indeed be a funny turn of events and now Bo Dangle’s Bodoption and the bodoption fees – which Bo generously donates to The Crud Muffins Inc for our role as Bo-Me midwifes, geneticists and tailors – is a significant revenue stream for our organisation as we work towards our dream of being able to afford operating a permanent public CRUD Space in our local community.
(Some of Bo Dangles’ children – the Bo-Me’s. Who are raised by The Crud Muffins and adopted out to loving homes all over the world!)
Are you guys a closed group – Or are you open to new members?
…and if so – how can people get involved?
We’re currently in the process of determining how best to move forward since becoming an incorporated association last year.
As we continue to grow and change as a non-profit collective we’re increasingly involving more people in a variety of capacities, particularly with committed volunteers outside of our original group of co-founders.
Whilst the title of Crud Muffin continues to remain closed for now, we’re always down to have more CRUDS (Creative Recreation Until Dawn Supporters) involved in bringing our installations and projects to life.
Until we have our website up and a clearer idea of how to organise other’s involvement in a constructive fashion, people can get involved and support us through online engagement with our socials where we share upcoming events, workshops, and volunteer opportunities such as working bees and collaborative projects.
What are some of your long-term goals for the group?
Our biggest long-term goal is to afford running a permanent art space here in our hometown of the Central Coast where we can offer unique creative experiences to the public in the form of an immersive installation, alternative exhibitions, art workshops and programs, open studio and shop front.
If we’re dreaming really big, a theme park, suburb or island we can deck out CRUD style would be amazing!
If people wanted to work with you or buy some of your wares – how should they get in touch and were should they visit?
We’re aiming to have a website up by the end of the year, but until then you can visit us on Facebook and Insty for more details, updates and to buy our wares, and get in touch with us via email (crudd.muffins@gmail.com) for any inquiries regarding collabs or services.
Any upcoming projects you would like to mention?
We generally have an ever-growing list of projects we’re working on at any one time including new zines, costumes for roving performances, new décor and the completion of open collabs we’ve facilitated.
Right now, the biggest thing looming for us is working on our website!
Later this year we’re booked for a few larger events as well, including Xstatic Wonderland and Esoteric Festival, which no doubt we’ll end up creating new projects for.
(Some recent installations by The Crud Muffins.)
Odds and Ends
Who are some of your favorite artists, musicians and writers?
…and what is it about their works that so inspire and move you?
There’s so many incredible artists out there who inspire us individually and as a collective.
Alex Grey is an amazing artist who eloquently depicts the intersection of inner and outer worlds with detailed, energetic grace.
Joe Roberts from LSD World Peace has a captivating naivety to his style which still manages to express the interdimensional expanses of imaginative realms.
Dang Wayne Olsen has a magnificently fluid, multicoloured elasticity and malleability to his amorphous characters.
Mr Melty, Alex Aliume, Brad Rhadwood, Jack William Lightfoot, John Speaker, Ben Ridgway, and Salvia Droid also have impeccably intricate visionary practices full of mind-melting, kaleidoscopic patterns, fractal beauty and bizarre worlds and inhabitants.
Then there’s all the artists whose work is shared in comic form as single panels, short stories or full graphic novel glory, such as Ramin Nazer, Slimy Oddity, Niall Breen, Evan M. Cohen, J. H. Williams III, and Jim Woodring.
Pendleton Ward and Rebecca Sugar and their roles in cartoons like Adventure Time, Steven Universe and Midnight Gospel have been a massive influence on us with their vibrant, uplifting wholesomeness.
Not to mention collectives such as Meow Wolf who work with a number of artists to create incredible immersive installations which prompt visitors to reflect on the incomprehensible possibility and absurdity of reality.
Together (and even separately) we have pretty eclectic tastes in music from kirtans and icaro, to psychedelic rock and disco, to electronic genres like psytrance, hardbass and high-tech.
Lots of our formative years of art seshes at Justin’s apartment were spent listening to bands like Tame Impala, Architecture in Helsinki, Devendra Banhart and The Shins, who now evoke a sense of suburban nostalgia for when responsibilities were few and free time was plenty. Of Montreal, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Animal Collective also featured heavily in those early days, providing paradoxical and varied soundscapes which inspired a lot of our art at the time.
Since discovering the wonderful world of doofs we’ve been introduced to so many electronic artists such as Spoonbill, Tipper, MC Culkin, Mood Swing & Chevy Bass, and Da Heebie Jeebies all of whom have a little humorous cheesiness, cartoony pop-cultural funkiness, and self-aware silliness to their sounds.
And, of course, there’s the classics like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Rodriguez, Donovan and the like from bygone eras when flower power was fighting for peace and love.
A lot of our favourite writers, such as Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison and Jesse Jacobs, are the authors of comics and graphic novels such as Swamp Thing, Promethea, Sandman, Watchmen, The Invisibles, and Crawl Space. Loved by us for their ability to investigate the possibility of multiple dimensions overlayed in a single space and explore the mysteries and magnitude of reality. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series is also inspiring in its fantastical depth and imaginative breadth.
Other authors such as Paul Stamets, Terence McKenna, Ram Dass, and Graham Hancock have also been influential in their alternate commentary on the evolution of humanity, culture, and consciousness.
Also, a few people who don’t quite fit in the category of artist, musician or writer are Lyman Spitzer and Edwin Hubble whose role in providing cosmic imagery as a result of the Hubble Space Telescope cannot be understated in their influence on our art. As well as Duncan Trussell, whose resounding positivity and supportive, respectful curiosity with his diverse array of guests on his podcast has exposed us to so many different topics and voices over the years which has sent us down so many tangents we otherwise would never have discovered were it not for the DTFH!
If you guys could live in any place, during any historical era – where and when would that be?
…and why would you choose that time and place?
Despite all the challenges the world is currently facing, living right now in Australia is pretty good.
If the history books are anything to go by, a lot of previous points in history seem dismal and frightening, fraught with all sorts of horrors that shake us to the core.
Provided we could return back to this time, we’d definitely have a gander at different historical eras and cultures from times past around the world just to see how wrong the history books have got it. Ancient civilisations in particular would be interesting to check out just to put to rest whether it was in fact ancient aliens who built all the monolithic structures still standing today (as low-budget documentaries continually assert) or whether advanced technologies and knowledge was simply lost as humanity “progressed.”
Would be awesome to check out all the art throughout history being created in real time at the point of its conception!
What are the top 3 items in the Crud collection?
That’s a tough one because we have a pretty extensive collection of things which are significant to us.
Our initial sappy response was, “Can we say each other? What about Bo?”
Our rainbow, custom printed marquee has gotta be up there. Maybe the open collab mural at CRUD HQ? Actually, probably the whole of CRUD HQ in all it’s multicoloured glory!
(Photos of CRUD HQ in all it’s delight!)
In a battle between the following fictional Australian characters: Bluey Heeler (from Bluey the children’s cartoon series) Vs. Albert the Magic Pudding (from the Magic Pudding children’s book by Norman Lindsay) – who would win?
…and why would they be victorious?
We had to look up who Bluey was but already knew Albert would kick his ass because he’s rough and raw, with a mean face and a fighting spirit.
We’re not really into violence, so here’s how we imagine the battle would play out…
Links
- The Crud Muffins – Instagram
- The Crud Muffins – Facebook
- Bodangles Bodoption – Instagram
- Bodangles Bodoption – Facebook
All images supplied by The Crud Muffins.
