DIMITRI GOOSSENS

Transgressive art and image

 

 

 

 

 

This site contains mainly a philosophical, anthropological and historical approach to that ultimately universal and transcultural phenomenon : death. It mainly has as focus representations/presentations of death that are 'transgressive' along the lines that French writer and philosopher Georges Bataille (1897-1962) set out for the concept of 'transgression'. Other aspects of 'transgression' can feature as well, but the main attention lies on the philosophical problem of mortality.

What exactly are transgressive representations/presentations of death? Images or art works that shock, disturb because they cause a cut, tear or rupture of our everyday beliefs in a rational, 'work and saving'-oriënted world. They make us stop in our tracks. The shock-effect is a freezing, a halt in time and space....like staring into the eyes of Medusa. It is an impossible encounter with an impossible experience : the impossibility of experiencing death in a direct way. My research centers on the question if even these kind of images or art works still play a sacred role in culture like images and art used to play during centuries of western culture. And if so....how ?

 

Transgressive art can entail more traditional work : Caravaggio, Goya, Ribeira.... But the main focus lies on more contemporary transgressive work : Damien Hirst, The Chapman Brothers, Teressa Margolles, Zbigniew Libera, Andres Serrano, Arsen Savadov, Franko B, ....

 

For the transgressive popular image concerning death this site mainly centers on horror. Horror is amongst philosophers mostly a forgotten subject. Most of them don't take it seriously. Society doesn't take it seriously. It is considered a depraved superficial entertainment. No more...no less. But.....as Bataille would say.....it is in facing the impossible, in facing and discussing the limits of humanity....that we become more human....all too human. In this respect horror has an important philosophical lesson to teach humanity. It is humanity in the act of discussing the content of humanity itself.