Neurotica: The Darkest Art of J. K. Potter

by J.K. Potter, Lydia Lunch (Introduction)

A spiritual descendant of such surrealist artists as Man Ray and Hans Bellmer, J. K. Potter is one of the most talented and disturbing fantasy and horror artists of our time. Combining art and photography, he creates stunning images with an intensely dark psychological vision that is as horrifying as it is beautiful. This new collection, his darkest yet, explores the artist's obsession with transformation and juxtaposition, often using the nude human body as his canvas.
Fantasy, nightmares and madness hold a strong place in Potter's art as he explores the relationship of the body to our deepest obsessions and fears. 'Erotic distillations of human and animal physique' and 'interior deformities that manifest themselves in the exterior flesh' are major themes for J. K. Potter, who rearranges human form - sometimes morphing it with things animal, vegetable or mineral - to suit his unrivalled imagination.

Genres: Art, Photography

128 pages, Softcover

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Artist Jeffrey K. Potter

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combining art and photography J. K. Potter presents a stunning collection of surrealism and horror that matches any portfolio of the greatest of artists. With “Neurotica” Mr. Potter combines nightmares, fantasies, eroticisms and horrifying visions that all meld into the beauty of the human form.

There were a number years when the addition of a J. K. Potter cover or dust jacket on a book would increase that books sales. His abilities to morph the human form with animals, vegetables or minerals boggles the imagination.

If you like the erotic mixed with the exotic seasoned with a bit of grotesque then this book is for you.

[Bill Hsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the cover image. It's amazing Potter did all this with old-school darkroom tricks. After 20 years, not all the pieces hold up; but the ones that do are really worth seeing.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book from my on going collection of Paper Tiger collection was an interesting read. Now the publishing house now appears to be defunct but was very active through the 80s and 90s and a little beyond.

But why is that of interest to this book - well for me it is the fact that the art shown here is very much of that age. For me it was the start of the accessible digital age (for high end big budgets it had been for some time) but for those that wanted to explore the media it was just starting to be come readily available - and a lot of this books art is a result of that.

How couple that with a creative eye that I have to say know how to unnerve and disturb you means that you have the opening up of a whole new vista of possibilities. Couple that with my exploration of the horror genre and suddenly I am finding a number of these pieces reminding me of work I had read before. So like I say an interesting read.

[D.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second collection of Potter's photomanipulating artwork, and little has changed since the first (book: Horripilations: The Art of J. K. Potter). We are once again treated to a panoply of misshapen, remade and sometimes just newly-viewed visions of the horrible and fantastic. The photos are roughly divided into a few sections/chapters thematically (e.g., haunted houses, animals) and each section is introduced with a page of text from Potter himself, who also provides brief notes to each image (these range from tiny narratives to explanations of technique). Artist/provocateur and Potter muse/model Lydia Lunch provides a pointed, beautifully worded introduction to the collection. Images appear in black-and-white and colour, in a variety of sizes, and include many private works as well as book and magazine covers and interior illustrations.
There appears to be some crossover between this and the previous book, but Potter's commentary and what new work there is make this a worthwhile collection. If you have a taste for the bizarre image, some Potter is an absolute must for your library.

[Kent Winward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a marvelous Christmas gift of old school photography done the old fashioned way to create a bizarre world that surpasses the digital realm. The photography of film creates a realistic edge lost in the digital.

Also, fantastic Lydia Lunch introduction, as well as several photographic representations of her.