Jonathan Meese: Mama Johnny

by Jonathan Meese (Artist), Robert Fleck

This collection of paintings, sculptures and collaborations including stage sets for a production of Frank Castorf's Kokain is the first comprehensive survey of Meese's major incursions into the German art scene. The artist was born in Tokyo, lives in Berlin and has shown at the Tate Modern.

300 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

Jonathan Meese is a contemporary German artist. His works include paintings, sculptures, performances and installation or a combination of all of the above. He calls himself the "Ant of art", a pun on the resemblance of the german word for ant, Ameise, and his last name, but it is also a description of his mode of operation: he is constantly in action for the sake of art. He also designs theater sets and wrote and starred in a play called "De Frau: Dr. Poundaddylein - Dr. Ezodysseusszeusuzur" in 2007 at the Volksbühne Theater.
His usage of Third Reich symbols and gestures is seen as controversal in Germany, but as he explains in his work, this is part of his plan to diminish their symbolical power. Currently he is promoting the Dictatorship of Art as a method to overcome the faults and limitations of modern day states and democracies. His goal is to set the thing itself, art, as a ruler and not some human being.

Reviews

[Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best and most comprehensive look at Meese's career to date. The reproductions are mostly perfect in quality beyond a few of the images taken from old photographs. This catalogue includes sculptures (bronze, assemblage and ceramics), installations, stage sets as well as a multitude of paintings, drawings and collages. I was a little bummed that there weren't larger installation shots of the Deichtorhallen exhibition itself (particularly the large room and installation with a portrait of Stalin on the façade - I've only been able to find quality images of it online). However, that's a small gripe since for about $50 this volume collects many of the works contained in other, smaller, volumes (beware that there aren't any images of his prints, those are found in "Jonathan Meese: Totalste Graphik").