Fleshy *

* (restored)

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Jory L. Bertram Lines Upon Lines (2016)
Extreme anxiety can lead to hallucinations. In the case of 16 year-old French artist Jory L. Bertram, the hallucinations took the form of thousands of lacerations all over her body. This piece is an attempt to convey those experiences.

 

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Agata Jarosławiec I never touched my father like that (2020)

 

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Fábio Magalhães various (2011 – 2014)
Salvadorian artist Fábio Magalhães paints inconceivable acts and positions in a truly gruesome yet astonishing manner. In which, he creates contours of a very disturbing reality. His hyper-realistic rendering and conditions, metaphorically connects images of his own body, feelings and banal situations.

 

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Hal Flesh Love (Vacuum sealed Couples) (2007)

 

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Smiling robot face is made from living human skin cells (2004)
A smiling face made from living human skin could one day be attached to a humanoid robot, allowing machines to emote and communicate in a more life-like way, say researchers.

 

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Shen Shaomin Summit (2010)
Summit comprised life-sized hyperrealistic sculptures of deceased communist leaders on their deathbeds (or in Fidel Castro’s case, clinging to life).

 

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Adriana Varejão various (2007 – 2015)
Adriana Varejão, (born in Río de Janeiro in 1964) has -for more than two decades- engaged in an aesthetic discourse that has delved fearlessly into controversial topics such as European Colonialism in Brazil, human slavery, and the body as a mediator for history’s untold violence. Varejão’s work evidences material as well as historical concerns; her paintings, drawings, and sculptures are physical and often, confrontational objects.

 

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Andra Ursuta Crush (2011)
Cast Urethane, wax, sneakers, wig, silicone, 152 x 102 x 23 cm

 

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Gina Pane various (1974 – 1983)
Gina Pane (1939 – 1990), a French artist of an Italian origin, was one of the main representatives of what is widely recognised as Body Art, the artistic trend characterised by the practise of self-mutilation and sadomasochism. Working with/on her own flesh and blood as an artistic media, Pane laid bare the human body’s fragilities; undressing, hitting, hurting, dirtying her own body, she was able to show the sense of danger and pain. Gina Pane, with a distinctive composure and a rational attitude, used the sufferance as a way of representing spirituality, carrying a deep emotional and symbolic charge. In Sentimental action (1973), the proto feminist artist, dressed totally in white, takes a bunch of roses in her hand and hurts herself with their spines. The blood dripping on the bouquet turns the roses from white to red. At that point, the artist cuts herself with a razor blade. An even higher pathos is represented by Action Psyché (Essai), a performance from 1974 – documented by sketches, photographs, notes – where Gina Pane injures her eyelashes to simulate tears of blood, and then engraves her belly. Some prim viewers could be disarmed and shocked by the narcissism, aggressiveness and exhibitionism displayed in such a rough and direct way.

 

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Choi Xoo Ang Islets of Aspergers Type XIV (2009)
Xooang Choi’s Islets of Aspergers series, each with a serial number, shows the characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome by exaggerating and distorting a body part. These images constantly give doubtful stares to the outer world or act indifferent to everything else besides themselves.

 

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Regina José Galindo Goose Flesh (2012)
Regina José Galindo began her artistic evolution as a poet. It was in 1999 that she started to use her body as part of her work in a more direct manner by adopting performance as her chief medium of expression. Her work leads us into the problems of current society, into a stark reality, through the discourse of her own body and by means of a series of actions that are equally stark, unrestrained and full of symbolism and which lead the artist to place herself in extreme situations that are also intense points of reflection for spectators.

 

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Santiago Sierra 250 cm line tattooed on six paid people (1999)
In 1999, Spanish artist Santiago Sierra paid six unemployed young men in Cuba to take part in one of his installation pieces. The men were offered $30 each to participate, and stripped to their shorts to become a part of its human experiments, this time in the Espacia Aglutinador, Havana’s oldest art space. Santiago Sierra had the men tattooed – one straight, horizontal line reaching across each of their backs. “Having a tattoo is normally a personal choice. But when you do it under ’remunerated’ conditions, this gesture becomes something that seems awful, degrading—it perfectly illustrates the tragedy of our social hierarchies. The tattoo is not the problem. The problem is the existence of social conditions that allow me to make this work. You could make this tattooed line a kilometer long, using thousands and thousands of willing people.”

 

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Daniel J. Martinez redemption of the flesh, its just a little bruise; the politics of the future as urgent as the blue sky (2008)
The hypnotic mechanical nihilism of a masterful Daniel J. Martinez installation, “redemption of the flesh, its just a little bruise; the politics of the future as urgent as the blue sky”, a 2008 animatronic sculpture that squirts what appears to be blood onto the walls of the museum. Behind this carnage are hand-scrawled recounts of the known plagues of history that have taken a million or more victims each.

 

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Cao Hui various (2011 – 2015)
Beijing-based artist Cao Hui insists that people used to be given the title of “artist” based on their “degree of mastery in imitating nature” though now, he says, “It seems artists are no longer happy just being artists, but are driven by their inborn love of performance to try out new roles, such as philosopher, scientist, doctor or perhaps even engineer. I think artists really want to play god more than anything else, and will stop at nothing to construct a truth that validates the self.”

 

 

 

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Karen Paddington Taxidermy (2011)
A woman dressed in white clinician’s overalls methodically flays the skin off a mannequin.

 

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Michael Zajkov various (2013)
Artist Michael Zajkov worked making puppets for a theater since 2010, after graduation from Kuban State University of Russia, who made his debut at the “Art Dolls” expo in Moscow, 2013, where he presented a few creations and attracted the attention worldwide. By using French mohair as hair and hand painted glass from Germany as eyes, Zajkov makes these extremely realistic Russian dolls dressed in exquisite costumes.

 

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Elmgreen & Dragset Death of a Collector (2009)

 

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Yang Shaobin Body (2009)

 

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Berlinde De Bruyckere various (2004 – 2015)
An unsettling, reconfigured concept of the body, helpless yet contorted, takes centre stage in Berlinde de Bruyckere’s faceless sculptures. Abject deformation is turned into beauty as if the artist is trying to wrestle a shape from abstract form. That each body, whether human or equine, stands on a plinth or inside a cabinet, as if posing for the viewer, emphasises their monumentalised objecthood and the tension between what these objects represent and what they actually are. De Bruyckere began making work around ideas of the human figure in the early 1990s, first through its absence, stacking and draping woollen blankets on furniture, symbolising shelter and vulnerability. Then she added bodies made of wax, almost completely covered in wool; imperfect, sexless and headless.

 

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Alex Katz Boy with Branch 2 (1975)

 

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Andrei Molodkin various (2012 – 2015)
Russian contemporary artist Andrei Molodkin is taking body art to a whole new level with a machine that boils corpses down to oil, which can then be poured into molds to become sculptures. Paris-based Molodkin says that he has tested his high-pressure invention, which in three to six months turns a corpse into “yellowish, sweet crude”. BBC reporter Sasha Gankin has already signed up, saying he wants to be turned into a sculpture of a brain, and French porn star Chloé des Lysses has asked to be made into a model of praying hands. According to Molodkin, who will represent Russia at this year’s Venice Biennale, a few HIV-positive New Yorkers who are expected to die in a year or two have agreed to the project as well.

 

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Tony Matelli Double Meat Head (2008)
Tony Matelli’s sculpture “Double Meat Head,” a self-portrait diptych, represents the two stages of Matelli’s existence — the first stage signified with live, fresh meat, the second stage signified with decay, in which the flesh decomposes, consumed by maggots.

 

 

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Isidro López-Aparicio Learning How to relate (2012)
Two hundred people hanging head-down in random group sizes, as human relation close groups.

 

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Andrew Krasnow various (2001 – 2013)
The Nazis at Buchenwald concentration camp did it. And so did serial killer Ed Gein. Now, Andrew Krasnow is making sculptures and lampshades out of human skin, all in the name of art: His works include human skin lampshades – a direct response to the belief that similar items made from the skin of Holocaust victims were found at Buchenwald concentration camp. Using skins from white men who donated their bodies to medical science, he has created freak versions of mundane items including flags, boots and maps of America – in effect using skin like leather. His work, he says, is a commentary on human cruelty and America’s ethics and morality.

 

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Marilyn Minter Green Pink Caviar (2009)
It is difficult to tell if Marilyn Minter’s subjects are meant to make viewers uncomfortable—or turn them on. A self-proclaimed “still life art photographer,” Minter’s pornography-inspired portraits of women seemingly possessed by the voyeuristic lens all appear to be objects of her wildest hallucinations. Yet, upon closer inspection, the images reveal the simplest reality that exists in beauty: imperfection. Her camera catches, with peephole discretion, tongues and fingers intermingling with precious stones, body hair and birthday cake, rendering her subjects in a miserable yet erotic state of disarray.

 

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He Yunchang One Meter of Democracy (2014)
He Yunchang performance One Meter of Democracy, he had a 0.5 to 1 centimeter deep incision cut into the right side of his body, stretching one meter from his collarbone to his knee. A doctor assisted in this procedure, though no anesthesia was used during the entire process. Before the surgery, he held a satirical “Chinese democracy-style” vote, using the farcical methods of Chinese elections to ask the roughly twenty people present whether or not he should carry out the procedure. The final tally was 12 votes for, 10 against and 3 abstaining, passing by two votes. The process was shocking to watch. He used a self-abusive, self-mutilating method to push himself to the edge, near the brink of death, and attained a self-redemption of both spirit and flesh. Perhaps this is the price of democracy, and perhaps He Yunchang is using his own suffering to awaken and probe the languishing soul.

 

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Folkert de Jong The Dance (2008)
Styrofoam, pigmented polyurethane foam, artificial gemstones.

 

 

 

 

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Lucy Glendinning Skins 1 (2010)
Rubber

 

 

*

p.s. Hey. ** Lucas, Hey. No big, I know how busyness goes. Good luck getting through the torture days, yikes. Yes, you can message me through WhatsApp. Morning/midday should be good for me. Zac would like to meet you, if that sounds interesting. He’s very nice. I remember ‘The Gift of Death’ being tough and great. My weekend was mostly playing a video game. Yesterday too, and seeing a pal. And I’m smack dab in then middle of ideally solving a huge problem for our film, but it may not work. Snow! Gosh, maybe it’ll snow here too, but don’t count on it. Survive and even transcend your week. xo. ** jay, Hi, jay! Yes, the last section of ‘Sodom’ is what it’s all about for me too. It seems possible that I could get in the mood for something like Nora Ephron’s thing, but it may take some concentration. I played a couple of ‘Metal Gear Solid’ games during a short stint when a friend lent me his Xbox, I can’t remember their titles. And ‘Policenauts’. ‘LM3’ is very goofy in the Nintendo style, but I’m a bit of a Nintendo Head, so I enjoy it. Also, it’s a pretty basic game, which is good because it’s my first game in a couple of years and I need to rebuild my thumb callouses. ‘Resident Evil 5′ is great. Did you play RE8’ aka ‘Resident Evil Village’? I loved that one. I thought it was one of the series’ best. Enjoy the role play, sounds fun. And thanks for filling in James. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi. Has that book appeared here before? Hm, yes, that’s possible. Dude, that hat so works on you, as expected, but even more so. And its jaunty tilt is a lovely touch. ** James, Hi. Wow, that’s an essay if I’ve ever heard of one. Speaking of, my standard tea of choice is Russian Earl Gray. Nintendo is the only system I’ve ever owned from the beginning, so you could say I’m a Nintendo guy, yeah. The trick with Sade is to skim his books until the intense stuff pops up, then dwell there until he starts pontificating fancily again. Thanks about my voice. I think growing up in LA gets all whatever credit. I sort of love ambiguity. ‘Confusion is the truth’ is my motto. Mont-mart-ruh is close, and is the best I can do, but there are all these tiny missing sound inferences in there that are the hard part. No worries about Sade dissing, he’s fully dissable. And no worries about length, I do the p.s. because I obviously like to. Big day! ** Dominik, Hi!!!! Yeah, the Steely Dan thing is funny, right? I guess she and the SD guys went to university together. The ‘Frisk’ film … long story short: A film producer bought the rights, and I liked the work of the director who was supposed to direct it, so I said okay. Then he dropped out. Then two other directors I was okay with came in and then dropped out. Then they brought in the guy who ended up directing it. And he refused to talk to or consult with me, which made me very suspicious. And they made all these excuses to not let me see the film until the day before the premiere when they had to. I hated it and was very angry, but I told them if they read a statement from me at the premiere, which basically said ‘I wish the film well, but it’s not an accurate representation of my book’, I’d be chill about everything. They didn’t read my statement at the premiere, so that started a war between the film and me. Then the director did an interview where he said the novel was horribly written and a piece of shit that he’d rescued it with his film, and it’s been ugly ever since. There you go. Oops, hole bag + dog poop = Urgh. Love in mourning because he just found out the Paris Hard Rock Cafe closed for good last night, and he always went there on his birthday to eat nachos, and now he’s sad, G. ** Bill, Howdy. I think with that descriptor of your gig you’d better get those extensions, otherwise there might be a riot. ** Dom Lyne, Hi. The cast crew screening went really well. Everyone seemed very happy with the film, and it seemed like they were being totally sincere. Zac still hasn’t read the new script. Long story. But he promises he will any second now, and he’d better. Oh, okay, I’m so bad with email. I’ll go find your email with the attachment. Sorry. I’m hopeless on the email front sometimes. Thank you! The story of ‘Haunt’ is enough to get it under my belt. I’ll search. And thanks for that tip too. ** Måns BT, Bonnest jour, Måns. Don’t translate it just on my account, but if that seems like a generally good idea at any point, I would be a pleased recipient. I haven’t seen any new films recently for some reason. A friend and I were going to see ‘Terrifier 3’, but it’s already out of the theaters. I’ve only seen older stuff. A couple of Lucrecia Martel films because her retrospective is happening. I’ve been going to these programs of experimental films from 60s/70s @ the Pompidou. I’m behind. ‘Places That Were Anime to Me’ has a really title and premise, so noted on that one. Lucky you re: pot. It just makes me totally paranoid so I have to avoid it. I liked watching films on MDMA. We definitely will hit you up about showing ‘RT’ in that circumstance as soon as we’re through this rough patch. We’re excited about that idea a lot. So, yeah, and thank you, thank you. Stockholm has deep dish pizza? Damn, what is wrong with Paris. If I trusted the French mail service, which I don’t, I would, yes, ask you to pop a slice in the post, but just eat and enjoy it for me. ** Justin D, ‘Guffman’ is big fun. All the early Guest films are great. Up though ‘A Mighty Wind’. The game I’m playing is ‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’. Favorite documentary … hm, maybe either Chantal Akerman’s ‘No Home Movie’ or Thom Anderson’s ‘Los Angeles Plays Itself’ or Frederick Weissman’s ‘Monrovia, Indiana’? Maybe? Yes, the cast & crew have seen ‘Room Temperature’, or the ones that were in LA at the time, and it seemed to go really, really well. And it was so great to get all those people together again. I hadn’t seen any of them in the flesh since we finishing shooting in early May of last year. Thanks for asking sir. ** Uday, I know, I know, the blog is relentless. Pierre Clementi is a big hero of mine, and also kind of the star of my novel ‘The Marbled Swarm’, so yeah. Anyone who gets the genius of ABBA is royalty in my book. Here’s to you guys’ friendship! I’ll look for Peggy Gou’s ‘Lobster Telephone’. I don’t know it. Tell him thanks. Yes, there’s a film producer also named Dennis Cooper. He produced some big TV series: ‘Miami Vice’, ‘Chicago Hope’, others. Every once in a while, some interviewer will say to me, ‘It’s so strange that you wrote those books and also produced ‘Miami Vice’ at the same time, please explain.’ ** Okay. I thought the old post that I’ve restored up there was maybe a good one to resurrect, but perhaps I’m wrong? See you tomorrow.