Jonathan Meese
05 Sep - 03 Oct 2009
JONATHAN MEESE
"MISHIMA IS BACK"
Jonathan Meeses's art is expressed in various medium, from paintings, sculptures, installations and performances done within his own installation work. He creates a humorous and dangerously chaotic world, involving prominent persons such as Wagner and Hitler from German history; others are Hollywood celebrities, protagonists of children's stories and manga, and movie characters.
Last year at Yokohama Triennale, a performance work was done in an expansive space with a large inscription that says "Dictatorship of Art" which was his own installation work. While his comical gestures brought laughter to the audience, the scene Jonathan Meese agitating loudly as he distributed handbills stating "Yokohama Manifest", pausing time to time in "Hail to Hitler" pose, flirting with a portrait of Scarlet Johansen, using stuffed animal reminded one as if he was a pious worshipper of artistic activities himself. Even when all power structure and politic's hierarchy is invalidated, art has an overwhelming ability to charm people and function as propaganda; Jonathan Meese as an artist summarizes his serious attitude to pursue this art's ultimate power, by way of stating in the manifest "Art is a comprehensive propaganda" and " Art is absolutely neutral".
"MISHIMA IS BACK"
Jonathan Meeses's art is expressed in various medium, from paintings, sculptures, installations and performances done within his own installation work. He creates a humorous and dangerously chaotic world, involving prominent persons such as Wagner and Hitler from German history; others are Hollywood celebrities, protagonists of children's stories and manga, and movie characters.
Last year at Yokohama Triennale, a performance work was done in an expansive space with a large inscription that says "Dictatorship of Art" which was his own installation work. While his comical gestures brought laughter to the audience, the scene Jonathan Meese agitating loudly as he distributed handbills stating "Yokohama Manifest", pausing time to time in "Hail to Hitler" pose, flirting with a portrait of Scarlet Johansen, using stuffed animal reminded one as if he was a pious worshipper of artistic activities himself. Even when all power structure and politic's hierarchy is invalidated, art has an overwhelming ability to charm people and function as propaganda; Jonathan Meese as an artist summarizes his serious attitude to pursue this art's ultimate power, by way of stating in the manifest "Art is a comprehensive propaganda" and " Art is absolutely neutral".