WHEN SHOCK BECOMES SHLOCK

Shock, disgust, and horror are common themes at the heart of numerous contemporary artists’ work. Relying on the grotesque to shake viewers from the complacency of modern life’s distractions and luxuries may be an honorable goal, but is it succeeding? “Disgust is a drug whose effects quickly abate with overdosing. If art aspires to disgust and nothing more, then disgust will rapidly become the pallid salon style of the day – and that is exactly what has happened. Disgusting is now simply what art is; it has lost its shock value.” – The Sunday Times (UK)