I found myself thinking about friendships last night. I thought about a former friend that I lived with for 9 years. He was fun, impish and a total Goth He introduced me to bands like Bauhaus, Nitzer Ebb and Sisters of Mercy. While we lived together, I was totally interested in the work of Joel Peter Witkin. His controversial photographs were haunting, sexually disturbing and uncomfortable at times to look at. I realized that I haven’t looked at Witkin’s work in a long time. I went on line and looked over some of his images. Yep, the photos are still haunting, sexually disturbing and uncomfortable at times to look at. The work that Witkin did is sometimes dismissed as being shock. He also got into some trouble with how he obtained some the bodies he used in his still-lifes. No matter the controversy, his work occupies a space in art that dares you to confront images of less than “perfect” bodies both alive and lifeless. The environments he creates for his subjects are sexually charged in taboo. His photos harken to the days of the traveling freak shows by photographing subjects sure to shock and amaze.
Shock
