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Transgressive art is art that aims to outrage or cause a reaction from the observer. The termtransgressive was first used in this sense by American filmmakerNick Zedd and hisCinema of Transgression in 1985.[1] Zedd used it to describe his legacy with underground film-makers likePaul Morrissey,John Waters, andKenneth Anger, and the relationship they shared with Zedd and his New York City peers in the early 1980s.[2]
From an academic perspective, many traces of transgression can be found in any art which is considered offensive because of itsshock value; from the FrenchSalon des Refusés artists toDada andSurrealism. PhilosophersMikhail Bakhtin andGeorges Bataille have published works on the nature of transgression.Transgressional works share some themes with art that deals withpsychological dislocation andmental illness. Examples of this relationship, between social transgression and the exploration of mental states relating to illness, include many of the activities and works of theDadaists,Surrealists, andFluxus-related artists, such asCarolee Schneemann – and, in literature,Albert Camus'sL'Etranger orJ.D. Salinger'sThe Catcher in the Rye.
Transgressive artistRichard Kern began making films in New York City with actorsNick Zedd andLung Leg in the early 1980s. Some were videos for musical artists, including theButthole Surfers andSonic Youth.[3]
During the 1980s, artists such asDread Scott created art that was so controversial that it ended up in the supreme court. In the case of Scott,United States v. Eichman, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the government to prohibit an artwork that desecrates the American Flag.[4] Another artist,Robert Mapplethorpe, caused the Director of theContemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati to be put on trial for obscenity in 1990.[5] Both cases were ruled in favor of the artists.
Among the most notorious works of transgressive art among the general public have been sculpture, collages, and installation art which offended Christian religious sensibilities. These includeAndres Serrano'sPiss Christ,[6] featuring a crucifix in a beaker of urine, andChris Ofili'sThe Holy Virgin Mary, a multi-media painting which is partially made of elephant dung.
Jeffrey Weiss ofArtforum considers some of the work ofCy Twombly to be transgressive, citing "drawing as a form of scrawl".[7]
The term can also be applied totransgressive literature as well. Examples includeTrainspotting byIrvine Welsh,Blood and Guts in High School byKathy Acker,American Psycho byBret Easton Ellis,Fight Club byChuck Palahniuk,Behead All Satans by MNM-DR, andJ. G. Ballard's short story "The Enormous Space". These works deal with issues that were considered to be outside the social norms. Their characters abuse drugs, engage in violent behaviour, and could be considered sexual deviants.[8]
Transgressive writing can also be reflected in non-fiction, such as in the writing style ofJim Goad.[9]
Subsequent transgressive artists of the 1990s overlapped the boundaries of literature, art, and music, includingGG Allin,Lisa Crystal Carver,Shane Bugbee, andCostes. With these artists came a greater emphasis on life itself (or death) as art, rather than simply depicting a certain mindset in film or music. They were instrumental in creating a new type of visionary art and music, and influenced artists includingAlec Empire,Cock E.S.P.,Crash Worship,Usama Alshaibi,Liz Armstrong,Lennie Lee,Weasel Walter,Andy Ortmann, and the later work featured inPeter Bagge's comicHate.
Rock and roll music has inspired controversy and been transgressive from its inception. As certain other musical genres grew in popularity, some transgressive artists used controversy to make a statement, gain attention, or make a profit (or a combination of these).[10] Among certain musical genres and movements, offending modern sensibilities was an integral part of the music. Musical genres that utilize transgressive themes or music include genres such asshock rock,punk rock,trap,grindcore,black metal anddeath metal, and various bands within theavant-garde rock orexperimental rock genre.[citation needed] Since the late twentieth century, the term has been most frequently applied to artists of musical genres such ashardcore hip hop,gangsta rap, andhorrorcore.Eminem was a major subject of such controversy; his early works, most notablyThe Slim Shady LP (1999) andThe Marshall Mathers LP (2000), were subjects of backlash surrounding their violent lyricism.[11][12] Another major figure of criticism was rapperTyler, the Creator, whose horrorcore-influenced debut studio album,Goblin, described graphic violence, which subsequently got his concerts banned from countries such asNew Zealand[1] and theUnited Kingdom[2]. Though his former negative reputation softened to the masses[3], Tyler, the Creator and his former hip-hop group,Odd Future's music still faced major criticism for graphic lyrics present in their songs in the early 2010s.
Some musical artists use the controversy that surrounds transgressive art as a form of publicity.[13]
Since the late 1990s, a new group of transgressive artists has emerged, such as the Canadian artistRick Gibson who made a pair of earrings out of human fetuses and ate a piece of human testicle. In China, several artists have produced transgressive art; these includeZhu Yu (who published images of himself eating what appeared to be a humanfetus) andYang Zhichao (who is known for extremebody art).
