Art That Kills: A Panoramic Portrait of Aesthetic Terrorism 1984-2001

by George Petros, Zeena Schreck (Contributor)

Art That Kills examines the point where art meets crime. The book documents a diabolical era, 1984-2001. It chronicles the evolution of a new aesthetic movement, a terrifying fringe of Underground Art where enlightenment and depravity combined. Murder, rape, torture, pedophilia, cannibalism, drugs, sedition, racism and blasphemy mixed with literature, history, politics, news, movies, TV, punk rock, philosophy and science. The book profiles a pantheon of dissidents and deviants, presents excerpts from their work, re-lives their crimes, and attempts to analyze an elusive era. The scene described herein is essentially the "second generation" of American Underground Art (the "first generation" ran from '66 through the 70s). All varieties of taboos and criminal advocacy found confluence, beyond "confrontation" or "shock." Pure sadism drove it. Sexual psychosis flavored it. Frustration with politics, big business and mass entertainment fueled it. The artists, from a cross-section of American life, ranged from the abused to the enlightened, from successes to also-rans. Some basked in the limelight; some barely acknowledged their creativity. They all wanted to hurt others in profound ways. Some have succeeded; one presides over an aesthetic empire, one is the world's biggest rock star, one sits on Death Row, one is a transsexual, others languish in prison. Some are dead. Prosecution, censorship and banishment hounded them all, regardless of rank. JOHN AES-NIHIL GG ALLIN FRED BERGER NICK BOUGAS SHANE BUGBEE JOE COLEMAN DEATH IN JUNE MIKE DIANA PETER H GILMORE JIM GOAD JONATHAN HAYNES STEPHEN KASNER RICHARD KERN ANTON LAVEY STANTON LAVEY SONDRA LONDON LYDIA LUNCH MARILYN MANSON JAMES MASON MICHAEL MOYNIHAN ADAM PARFREY GENESIS P-ORRIDGE SHAUN PARTRIDGE BOYD RICE JOHATHAN SHAW PETER SOTOS ROBERT N TAYLOR JG THIRLWELL and many other iconoclastic artists, publishers, magazines and movements. Introduction by Carlo McCormick.

Genres: Art

Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

American art designer, author, illustrator and editor.

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art that Kills is a document, composed of interviews, about the furthest extremes of culture and subculture that existed in the United States from the '80s on up, starting with G.G. Allin and ending, I believe, with avant-garde/porn director Nick Zedd. In between you have just about everything from people who obeyed no rules, who left no sacred cow upturned, and who wanted either to destroy culture as a whole or go beyond it. Included are two people who were prosecuted for obscenity, Peter Sotos and Mike Diana, the first one a person who put out a 'zine praising serial killers and mass murder, the second one being the cartoonist who created "Boiled Angel", which featured comic rendering of violent and obscene acts of a startling variety, on top of being funny and entertaining. The scene that the book represents is pretty much that associated with Feral House, Adam Parfrey being one of the people interviewed, so if you want to know the flavor of what's featured you should google them and go their website. Lots of Anton LaVey-esque stuff. The book is pretty much one of the most extreme collections of misanthropic writings, writings hostile to humanity in general, that I've seen, and so is enjoyable, although I wouldn't endorse some of the conclusions some of the writers come to. A good complement to this book is ".45 Dangerous Minds: the Seconds interviews", which is by some of the same people but gives a different spectrum of similar territory.

If you "Live to be Hated" this is a book for you.

[Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of all time favorite books! Interviews and coverage of Charles Manson, Boyd Rice, William S. Burroughs, Lydia Lunch, Marilyn Manson, Robert Williams, Michael Moynihan, GG Allen, and many many others!

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wide-ranging compendium of interviews with a variety of musicians, artists, zinesters, and other travelers within the depths of the underground. The Church of Satan is pretty heavily represented with Thomas Thorn, Stanton LaVey, Peter Gilmore, and more. Photography (there’s a lot of stuff from Fred Berger of Propaganda) and art reproductions liven up the book quite a bit.

One thought that struck me after reading it is that whenever someone starts talking about might makes right and survival of the fittest, it doesn’t matter if they’re scrawny, living on cheap booze and chicken McNuggets, have never even gone camping, and maybe had a dozen people show up to their last show, they will always consider themselves to be an ubermensch.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

wish it had more about G.G. and others instead Brian Manson (yawn)

[Newt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some nice interviews and photos of Zeena, Nikolas Schreck, Boyd Rice, Stanton LaVey, Szandora and many others