Marilyn Manson
By Vanessa Juarez
The antichrist superstar has a hobby: he paints. His show of watercolors- a conglomeration of corpses, portraits and nude studies titled “The Golden Age of Grotesque”- was on display last week at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions. Manson spoke to NEWSWEEK’s Vanessa Juarez about his body of work.
What do you paint with?
I got back into painting with watercolors in 1997. I will sometimes be drinking while I’m painting, so a few have absinthe mixed in.
There’s a portrait of you as Mickey Mouse.
It’s me as Mickey Mouse as Van Gogh. So I’ve cut off one of my mouse ears and I’m staring at it and wondering how I will still be the leader of the club. It sort of lends itself a bit to Disney and the impact that Disney has on the American culture, whether or not we step back and look at how the world has a rodent fetish.
What do you wear when you’re painting?
I’m usually just in my underwear. And I paint on the floor. I throw down a white bedsheet, which is completely stained, and I’m on my hands and knees.
What kind of underwear?
I have a lot of different underwear. They’re black, of course. Umm, Hugo Boss. Hugo Boss tends to be the more comfortable.
What’s up with the painting of the cat? It’s sort of out of place because it’s normal-looking.
That’s my kitten. Her name’s Lilywhite. She’s a Devon Rex. I’ve taught her to kind of understand English. She has wrinkly skin. She’s real soft and she’s nice. She gets jealous.
Do you think your paintings are offensive?
I think people probably expect my paintings to be more offensive. They’re kind of gentle. They’d make an interesting children’s book.
Are you satisfied with the exhibit?
I’m not very arrogant about what I do. I think it’s fortunate for me to be able to take something that was just a way of releasing tension and have it be something that other people want to come and see- and even buy and put in their homes. But quite honestly, if I wasn’t me I’m not sure I’d want to hang any of them in my house.
Full Article: Newsweek, 9-30-2002, Vol. 140, Issue 14
Paintings from The Golden Age of Grotesque show may be found at http://www.marilynmansonimages.com/mansonpaintings.htm#artjump3 |
