J T H M

J T H M:

How can something so grotesque and absurd be so foe filling? Should I feel awkward about how awesome I though J T H M was? Is it normal to not be thrown off or disgusted by the terrible imagery? Have I become that desensitized? There use to be a time in our culture where if someone admitted to even thinking like this would be outcast and or labeled a psycho path. What has changed in our society where this sort of narrative can be written off? Its not like Nny is the only psychopath killer ever written about or created. Think of the numerous slasher films or martial arts thrillers.
Come to think of it….why should anyone be thrown back by the images in J T H M. Every night on the news you here about this murder or that murder, this pedophile that pedophile. Its not longer shocking to our culture but it’s the truth. We are primal beings when it comes down to it. We believe that we exist with a higher consciousness then all other life on this plant but we treat each other in such a manner that I would argue the above. Not saying that we are all homicidal maniacs but we all get the primal feeling to run over the old lady crossing the street or gouging the eyes out of the man you just caught with your true love. Ill admit it, in my mind on a bad day its not much different then this comic book. I never act on it and never could, am I different for not automatically suppressing the somewhat insane irrational thoughts? For not pushing them away and internalizing them completely, letting them sit there for a second and permeate, if not to see how far they can go but to remind myself that I exist in a plane right now where this isn’t acceptable. They are fuel for certain facets of my art.
The point where this type of work becomes an issue is when the little voice in a person’s head doesn’t let them distinguish between “real” life and fiction any longer. Where thoughts of rape, pillage, and plunder turn to actions of it. For age’s authorities blame the artists that make work like this for actions of those that idolize them. Maybe some of the responsibility should be on the artist but it’s impossible to control who views your work and who doesn’t. It’s a matter of personal responsibility in viewing work or playing videogames. When it comes to children to mimicking works of art or narrative in a an all trueistic way I believe that it has to be the responsibility of a young persons caretaker to explain the difference in writing about or creating about grotesque and insane ideas and performing them for real. That term for real soon will have to change but for now children need to know that there is a line. One a lot of adults still l don’t understand but there exists one.
I think work like J T H M needs to exist. Not for the sake of desensitization but for the sake of a primal outlet. Do I think there is a limit to it? On paper no. In sculpture no. Photography no. In art or entertainment in general NO! I would go as far as saying in sport no. Think about the UFC. Two grown intelligent men both deciding that they are going to try and beat the living hell out of each other. Without the emotional additive of hate or dislike purely for the sport of it. Yes echo comes to play and fame and money but these guys initially get into it because it foe fills a primal need they have. Channeling this primal energy is the key to our society working. Keeping violence in art is the key to keeping it off the streets, I sound like a crazy advocate for violent art but it’s prevented me from going medieval plenty of times