Scream or Self Induced Exorcism
The term Exorcism does NOT always apply to a procedure that involves a person possessed by the devil spirit (that would be a solemn exorcism (an official church ceremony, in Latin)). In general, the Exorcism prayer encourages to - control the power of the devil and prevent him from doing harm. Self-Exorcism prayer is recommended whenever action of the devil is expected, suspected, causing harm to a person, violent temptations and even hurricanes and other natural disasters. There is this thing called "sinful nature". It's inside all of us because, well, we are humans, so here we are. Does anyone want to get rid of the monster inside of you? It is believed that you can cast demons out of yourself. Some insists that only Jesus has that kind of power. So it is recommended to submit to God and earnestly speak to Him and tell Him you are repentant and ask Him to help you. “Come to the assistance of men whom God has created to His likeness and whom He has redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil.” Nonetheless, I am not teaching how to perform exorcising, I am merely reflecting on the subject.
Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream is some of the most reproduced and famous pieces of expressionism art in the world today. Personally, I find it quite unimpressive, but what is the meaning of the painting? The artist writes in his diaries that he struggled with insanity and psychological problems on a personal level during his life. Nothing like that I can brag about ;) However, what makes Munch a different kind of artist is that he shows us a sight of his inner troubles of anxiety through his painting. He is putting more importance on personal meaning than on painting skills, aesthetics, or traditional application of art. That is the official art-history, textbook concept of his artwork. I do not buy it.. not even a little bit. One does not have to be mental or criminal to play one in a horror movie. More importantly, an artist should not ever abandon technical skills in order to make a point. We all feel anxiety, don’t we? But then again only the level of artistic skill separates us apart. And, “Red” does not mean blood, most of the time it is just RED.
All in all that is a brilliant artwork ;) that was sold at Sotheby's auction for a nominal price $119 million. The Scream is parsed for its almost audible sensation… the only one thing that I hear when looking at the picture is “How Much?!”
This work has been motivated partly by Munch’s painting. I wanted to make something that actually screams and screams something meaningful. This is a contemporary artwork therefore it has all the attributes of the modern cultural banalities in order to correspond better to the wider audience of viewers. I am not being sarcastic; it is just the way it works. Here are the alien queen head which is an obvious choice for evil symbolism, and the devil trap gate from ‘the supernatural’, and a claw scars the on the surface gothic architectural motifs by one of the most celebrated architects (Gaudi) The levitated cloak monks is a vague reference to Dali’s Crucifixion. The flying pages of the Holly Book give the central female figure some circular dynamics. If you look abstractly at the work, you may notice a big circle with a diagonal line inside. That is actually a stop sign. And of cause the herd of scorpions; nothing represent danger better then these small creatures. I do realise that using cliché elements gives the work a certain populist overtone, but again there is nothing wrong corresponding to a larger populous and it is kind of fun ;)
(Title Rus) Крик Экзорцизма или Само Изгнание Дьявола
Software media: Smithmicro Poser ®, Autodesk 3ds Max ®, Adobe Photoshop ®, Adobe Illustrator ®, Photo, Texture Stock
George Grie, January 2014
© Copyright | George Grie | Copying is permitted only with an active link to neosurrealismart.com
Scream or Self Induced Exorcism, Surrealism Religion and Psychology