Deliberately bad, mashed up, distorted like a Francis Bacon painting.
Ugly art brings the worst of our subconscious to the fore as a means of hobbling our concentration. It goads people into fully grasping how they feel, like a good old-fashioned puke, where the vocal cords saddle up and ride a ribcage as tight as body armor.
“It is always with the best intentions that the worst work is done,” once said Oscar Wilde. Art offers the best revenge for both maker and consumer; both parties bring all their beliefs and biases to any situation.
The serpents continue to slither for their niche audience. After all, the frequency and provocation are what keep the momentum going. And the ideal viewer is more present and emotionally detached; curiosity is not neutral.
The interested student pays scrupulous attention to detail regardless of their mood. The scrutinizer’s eyes scan unemotionally and reward the work with a second look.
The most interesting pieces deserve the utmost attention, as each subsequent blink brings forth undiscovered light, shade, textures, and other materials. To see and “think different” help swallow the elements.
What remains unenforcible is sophistication. Appreciating context and complexity is vital — experience, education, and temperament bring to the purview everything.
