I have been away from this journal for a little while, due primarily to the fact that I have had a great deal of success in writing for my book, so I haven't had much need for the writing exercise of this journal. But I've hit a little bit of a dry spot, so I think it's time to write a little more here and see if I can get my brain working a little bit before I return to the exploits of Zeus, Apollo, Paris and Cassandra.
My thoughts today have been centered around a phrase coined by Rex Church regarding his art in particular: "Aesthetic Terrorism." I was recently introduced to this term when I visited his website for the first time, and have rather enjoyed rolling the two words in conjunction around in my head in relationship to not only Mr. Church's art, but also certain forms of art in general. I can only begin to scratch the surface of my thoughts here in this short article, so this train of thought is very likely to re-emerge at a later date somewhere in my journal, but I felt it was better to try to give at least an introduction to what I have recently found to be an intriguing perspective than to leave these thoughts rattling around in my brain unwritten.
I looked up the term "terrorism" for greater clarification and found this:
Terrorism: ter-ror-ism
Pronunciation: 'ter-&r-"i-z&m
Function: noun:
the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.
Coercion is hopefully a familiar word to all reading this, but if not, know that it is essentially synonomous with the imposition of force.
In the wake particularly of the events of a few years ago on 11 September, the current connotation of this particular word has likely made this phrase relatively controversial. However, this is partially why I find this phrase intriguing, because it brings to mind a forced confrontation... an imposition of presence upon those who may not necessarily be ready or able to deal with the disturbing nature of what they are seeing. While many people like the thrill of scary movies, skydiving, or roller coasters, most people shrink from the induction of true terror that shakes the foundations of their psyche.
While they have not used this particular term, artists have been employing this practice for quite some time to reveal the darkness that humanity has endeavored to run from even as that darkness bears its face to the world. Probably Picasso's most disturbing work, Guernica, would be the most prominent example of this. Guernica is a gigantic painting which portrays the horror of the destruction of the Spanish city of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. This massive piece is disturbing in its disjointedness, and to stand in its presence is to be exposed to the horror of death and wanton destruction. There is no romanticism of "heroic loss" here. Instead, the viewer standing in the presence of this incredible depiction of terror is inspired to feel as broken as the people and creatures the painting portrays. In all its mortifying honesty, this is an early example of aesthetic terrorism, a work that forces the viewer to stand at the mouth of death see the inherent terror of its result.
Of course, the world of visual art is not the only venue which can express this type of experience. Within this perspective, the concept of "Aural Terrorism" has also been popular for some time, as there have been a number of composers, particularly in the past half-century or so, who have pushed humanity toward the darkness of its nature in the construction of their work. Composers such as Alban Berg and Arnold Schoenberg used dissonance and a lack of tonal resolution to create the same result in the listener that Church and Picasso utilize in the visual world. Writers such as T.S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas, and Peter Shaffer do not shrink from the imposition of "Literate Terrorism" in their work, either, imposing images upon the mind in their work that can keep the thinking mind up for days contemplating the horror that their writing reveals.
The most terrifying aspect of this entire perspective is probably that, unlike the scary movies and thrill rides, these artists do not typically express these horrifying images "for fun," so that people can have a thrilling little scream and then walk away from their faux fear into their lives and forget what they witnessed. The terror these works instill sticks with the person who experiences it, because it reveals a darkness that is much more present and more real than a possessed doll with a carving knife. These dreams step out into the daylight... They walk among the mass of humanity, and they force people to confront the darkness in their psyche. This terror is real and it is awe-full. In forcing this perspective into the open, the artist reveals the darkness and forces those with eyes to see and ears to hear to confront and move through it.
While terrorism in its most common connontation is viewed as a cowardly, heinous act, the act of "aesthetic terrorism" is an act which can force enrichment and growth. The encounter may be, at the very least, an uncomfortable confrontation for the experiencer, but the person who stares into its terror with open eyes will find himself wiser and enriched on the other side of his fear.
Copyright 2005 S.L. Olson
