JJ Brine
JJ Brine was an American visual artist and gallerist. The artist went by the title "The Crown Prince of Hell." He operated and curated the Vector Gallery in New York City, which drew attention and critical response for its avant-garde postmodern multimedia narratives on Abrahamic religions. The gallery attracted controversy as “The official art gallery of Satan” and purported to operate as a sovereign nation with its own time zone, theology, and community of adherents, Vectorians. Some refer to the gallery as a cult, and to Brine in turn as a cult leader. In an interview with V Magazine, Brine clarified that Vector is not a cult. "We're really a group of close friends. We have the same religion, but we practice it differently. The practice of our religion is making art." Brine & the Vector Gallery were often likened to a Millennial Andy Warhol meets GG Allin.
The NYC location closed when Brine traveled to Tanna, Vanuatu and opened for a period on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. The press reported Brine's intentions to move Vector from LA to Washington, DC during the American presidential election season. The final incarnation of the Vector Gallery opened in the fall of 2017 at 951 Grand Street in Brooklyn and closed in September 2018.
Early life
Brine was born in Portland, Oregon, he was adopted hours after being born. His biological mother is part Puerto Rican. When he was three his family moved to Gainesville, Florida where he spent his formative years. Brine graduated Cum laude in Political science from University of Florida. He later attended graduate school at American University of Beirut focusing on Middle Eastern politics & foreign affairs. He was also an assistant to former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft in Washington, D.C. Earlier, he interned for the American-Turkish Council.Art and career
In 2010 Brine moved to New York City. Inspired by his love for The Velvet Underground & Nico he chose to take residence on St Marks Place in the East Village. Brine pursued music releasing a 2012 album "President of Mozambique". He later formed the band The LaBiancas with fellow performance artist & frequent collaborator Lena Marquise.Vectorian faith
Vector has its foundations in the Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Brine described Vector as the fourth chapter and final chapter in a tetralogy preceded by the Torah, Bible and the Quran. Although Vector presents itself as "the official art gallery of Satan", the supreme Vectorian deity is identified as ALAN. Brine described the lemniverse as a "temporal-spatial simulation experiment". ALAN communicates with other "embodied fragments of its will" through the experiments in the simulation. Brine predicted the world will end in 2033 AD through the simultaneous annihilation of all life on earth, or the return to ALAN.In popular culture
JJ Brine has been called “an icon of post-American America.” In September 2015, Vice ran an article depicting an event in which Brine and his Vectorian Government placed a curse on Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, citing her refusal to issue gay marriage certificates as the motive for the ritual. Brine's art has been praised by underground filmmakers John Waters and Bruce LaBruce. Brine's occultism has drawn the attention of conspiracy theorists, who believe he is part of a new world order global conspiracy.Personal life
Brine was openly gay. His friendship with actress Amanda Bynes garnered international tabloid attention in 2014.Brine spent the COVID-19 pandemic living at home with his elderly parents. Brine died unexpectedly on June 13, 2021, in Gainesville, Florida at the age of 38.
Music
Brine described his music as "electronic spirit music," or ESM, which refers to the channeling of spirits.In addition to his solo project, he was also a member of the LaBiancas, a Charles Manson concept band, along with bandmate Lena Marquise.
Studio albums
- President of Mozambique
Singles
- "Monarch Butterfly"
- Charles in Charge
- Charles Manson is Jesus Christ
- ''I'll Never Say Never to Always''