Art can be repulsive in a multitude of ways. The unnerving thing about grotesque art, or as it is more commonly called, frightening art, is that it frequently blends elements that shouldn't be together in one piece. This work seems to never go out of style, even though the perception of it has evolved throughout time. It frequently arouses shock or revulsion.
When art defies social norms and conventions, it can also have unsettling effects on viewers by making them feel uneasy. Often, forbidden subjects are handled in the most improper ways conceivable in this kind of art. However, works of art that are merely eerie or that feature physiological fluids may be unpleasant.
The concept of the grotesque is ill-defined and has roots in medieval fantasy. The definition of disgust is a difficult one, and over time, our understanding of what disgusts us has evolved. According to Frances S. Connelly, "grotesques are by their nature intermixed, unresolved, and impure... and to represent them as fixed entities misses their most salient feature" in her book Grotesque in Western Art and Culture. Grotesque appears to have less to do with what an image looks like or represents than it does with what it does and evokes in the spectator, as shown in the works of Hieronymus Bosch, Francisco Goya, and more recent artists like Hans Bellmer and Francis Bacon. These pieces undoubtedly challenge accepted norms and push limits. Grotesque frequently refers to horrifying bodily parts. Body horror in particular seems to strike us in the same way as long as we have bodies, despite the fact that the idea of the grotesque is susceptible to historical and cultural variations.
In addition to the macabre, shocking, strange, egotistical, voyeuristic, vulgar, masochistic, and sexually improper behaviors are frequently linked to frightening art. The 1970s saw a growth in performance art, and with it, the aesthetics of shock assumed a significant role in art practice. These behaviors, which invaded prohibited territory, shocked and frequently outraged the audience by forcing people to step outside of their comfort zones of what is considered socially acceptable. Shock art, which features fetishes, unsettling imagery, and contentious concepts, appears to be a reaction to the sensationalist culture and the public's demand for challenge. However, one has to consider if it is still feasible to be startled or disgusted, given that society is growing accustomed to graphic and unsettling pictures. We've put together some excellent examples of disturbing art that use the word in a broad sense to help you explore this.
Nollywood, the film industry of Nigeria, is reportedly the third largest in the world. Every year, it puts up to a thousand titles on the regional home video market. The sole reason for this productivity is because the working conditions in which the movies are produced would make Western filmmakers shudder. They use inexpensive equipment, simple scripts, actors cast the day of shooting, and actual locations, and they are produced and marketed in a week. Even though Nollywood films use Hollywood genres and typologies, they are an uncommon example of mass media self-representation.
The tales, which touch on themes of romance, humor, witchcraft, bribery, and prostitution, relate to the ideals and experiences of their respective local audiences. The stories lack pleasant endings and are overly dramatic. Nothing is spoken; everything is yelled; the aesthetic is raucous, aggressive, and exaggerated. Pieter Hugo, a photographer from South Africa, developed an interest in Nollywood's fictitious realms, which blend the real and the fantastical. He had a group of actors and assistants replicate Nollywood myths and symbols on stage so he could take pictures of them. The end results are pictures of zombies, devils, and mummies, among other clichéd figures from Nollywood movies, all idly posing on Enugu backlots.
Nollywood, which releases 500–1,000 films annually, is the third-largest film business globally. The story is tragic, overly theatrical, and devoid of happy endings. The style is obnoxious, aggressive, and exaggerated. In Pieter Hugo's photographs, Nigerian film sets are staged, and local performers portray the clichéd myths and symbols that define Nollywood movies. Zina Saro-Wiwa, Stacy Hardy, and Chris Abani wrote the accompanying texts.
Photographer of portraits and documentaries from South Africa, Pieter Hugo is known for his photos of the continent's neglected populations, such as the blind, albinos, and AIDS victims in their coffins, all of whom have an eerie, lingering force. He is a self-taught photographer who never attended school, mostly because Cape Town did not have a place where one could learn about the philosophy and background of photography. He immediately began working as a professional photographer after graduating from high school, doing editorial, commercial, or photojournalistic assignments. Hugo first worked in the Cape Town film industry before attending the artist research institute Fabrica in Italy for two years.
Pieter Hugo specializes in portraiture photography and explores African societies via both art and documentary traditions. The second-biggest film industry in the world, Nigerian cinema, is explored in his most recent series, Nollywood. India's film industry is not as prolific as Bollywood's, yet it nevertheless produces more low-budget films annually than Hollywood. The ordinary but eerie characters of the industry are portrayed in this series set in the Southern Nigerian film production hubs of Enigu and Asaba. These movies typically include archetypal characters with spooky and horrifying storylines. The classic stories and symbols that define these movies are interpreted by the artists in the stills.
Artists have explored and captured the darker sides of human existence throughout history using their skills. These arts provide a window into the unpleasant ideas and anxieties of earlier societies, ranging from eerie representations of death and devastation to macabre investigations of the afterlife, will evoke feelings of fear and foreboding in you that will stay long after you leave the arts.
Humans are naturally drawn to the macabre. Terrifying pictures might serve as a sobering reminder that life is not all "rainbows and unicorns" for some people. Others find them to be intriguing to watch, a thrilling obsession, or a passionate interest. Whatever your opinion, all great art is deserving of discussion and appreciation. These terrifyingly real paintings by well-known painters will disturb you while also moving you because of the subject matter.
Ugliness is more than fascinating.
Olha Akihary
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
12:20 PM
Frankfurt, Germany
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