HELL

All photos:

Jake or Dinos Chapman
White Cube Mason's Yard and Hoxton Square
London
15 July - 17 September 2011© the artists
Photo: Ben Westoby
Courtesy White Cube

JAKE or DINOS CHAPMAN

White Cube

Mason Yard

Hoxton Square

It took me a while to write this post about the Jake or Dinos Chapman opening, since I only had a chance to go to the one in Mason Yard and had to follow up with the Hoxton Square a few days later.

(No, I did not see Kate Moss's butt spanking of another model:). I did get to experience the devilish power of the Chapman brothers. A power couple in the British Art World, known for their talent to provoke. This Art is certainly is not made to please or with any touch of beautification.... (that is for poodles).

For this exhibition the brothers stayed apart for a year in separate studios for so to bring it all together in this exhibit. After how I understand there is a mix of both of them in both places and you are not supposed to single them out for who has done what. But... the rumors has it that Dino the elder, is the one who is doing the elaborate drawings and human (religious) sculptures, while Jake is the one having done the paper and wood sculptures. Correct me if I am wrong.

Walking through the paper sculptures on the ground floor at Mason Yard I felt, well, this is quite tame....

With titles like:

"Beauty is for poodles"

"The grim reapers reaper"

"Inside the clowns pocket"

"Premature"

"The night descending like an embalmers shroud"

"Livid as the meat and dense as the slab itself"

"9/11 1/2"

"Postpartum howl"

Until one descended to the hellish basement, where the ghostly nazi figures where taking over the room even though it was filled with spectators. 

The drawings reminded me impressively of drawings by Goya, morbid and with a dash of gallows humor. 

A black Ku Klux Klan with an erection watching destruction...

At the Hoxton Square you also started out feeling slightly calm, before you met with these children with an attitude who studies at the Nazi school where they learn nothing... 

The kids noses are changed out with animal noses to the effect of horridness.

On the second floor at Hoxton Square are the "molested" religious totems. You can't see it on these pictures, you will have to get a closer look. But their faces are ripped out and has eyes sticking out, quite sickening. Also probably the reason for all the extra security that is guarding the gallery.

Why I ask? Why do someone feel the need to make such devastating Art? Does it have a point beyond the shocking factor? The worst is, it is actually really well done. 

When I now leave this page, I know it's weekend soon and that my world is a better world and I can breathe out and feel good. Maybe that is the point? For most of us that has a chance to see their art, the world is quite good, we just need to be reminded of the Hell that lurks behind, and appreciate the now.

With Weekend Love

Kristin

Saying goodbye to Lucian Freud with an earlier post!

JUST when I thought I was leaving HELL, OSLO is hit by terrorism!