Article written by Valeria Lasso
*Trigger Warning: Some of the images in this article might be deeply disturbing. If you are sensitive to blood or other gross fluids, please proceed with caution*
As I have mentioned before, there are truly no boundaries to art. Even though, there should be, in some cases. Sometimes artists get a little carried away with certain ideas and when they get excited, there’s not much that can get in their ways. They’ll do the most disgusting and unethical things you could possibly think of, and then proceed to call it art. In some cases, I guess it could be called art, but that doesn’t mean it deserves recognition or acclamation. Sometimes we just have to admit some things are disgusting and that we could have done just fine without ever seeing them.
However, not that I have seen them, it’s only fair that I curse you all to see these disgusting art pieces. I’ve been scarred for life and I hope you will be too.
Without further ado, please enjoy:
1. Theodore Gericault – Study of the Heads of Torture Victims
Theodore Gericault had close connections with hospitals and medical students from who he would often borrow heads and body parts to study their decomposition process and paint it. This painting was planned and staged in order to look the way it does. The head on the left has its eyes closed and it almost looks like it could be asleep, while the head on the right looks more disturbing with its mouth and eyes open as if it was able to see death coming. While you might rightfully assume that this painting isn’t actually disgusting, the process of making it certainly was. He used REAL heads for this, people. Do you know what detached, decomposing body parts smell like? LIKE DEATH.
2. Marc Quinn – Self
This is another one of those that doesn’t look as disgusting as the actual story behind the makings of it. This is a cast of Quinn’s head dipped in frozen silicone. There’s nothing wrong with a self-sculpture, I mean, sure it’s a bit creepy, but it’s still okay-ish. However, Quinn made this with his own blood. Ten pints of blood, to be exact. I’m sorry, but why would you take your own blood and put it into a cast? No one is even going to see it. Just put red food colouring or something, dude, no need to bleed to death for artistic purposes. What’s worse is that he does this every five years. Does this guy even know how many lives he could’ve saved with that much blood?
3. Andrea Hasler – Embrace the Base
I know this looks very real, but thankfully, it’s not. It’s made out of wax, but it sure looks pretty gross. The grossness of it is the only reason this made it to the list because the cause for this sculpture is actually a good one. It refers to a group of women that staged a very long protest at the Greenham Common base in the 1980s to protest against the nuclear weapons. The tents refer to those where the protesters slept.
4. Hermann Nitsch – Das Orgien Mysterien Theater
I wish I could tell you that this is all fake and was just staged with sculptures, but it’s not. That is a real animal hanging from the wooden planks and a human inside the animal’s carcass. This isn’t just absolutely disgusting; it is also extremely unethical. The worst part is that they performed this ‘show’ over 100 times and in each performance, at least 3 animals were sacrificed. The purpose of it was to exemplify culture’s fascination with violence. However, the reasons behind this piece do not excuse how disgusting and unethical this is. No animals deserve to die, especially if it’s for some sick person’s ‘art’.
5. James R Ford – Bogey Ball
In case you haven’t read the title yet, yes, this is a bogey ball. Literal boggers collected by Ford for over two years in a Tom and Jerry cup. If you don’t feel a little bit nauseous by now, you’re some kind of supernatural being honestly. Boogers? Really? If this wasn’t ridiculous enough, this ‘piece’ actually sold for 10,000 euros. Who in their right mind would pay that much money to own someone else’s boogers? This world is just so messed up.
6. Jonathan Payne – Fleshlettes
I am happy to tell you that this is just a sculpture and involves no real human parts at all. Phew! Some other sculptures by Payne do include real human hair, but that’s not too bad. Nevertheless, this sculpture looks real as hell and honestly, if I was looking at this in real life I might possibly gag.
7. Steffan Gross - Mutilated Toy Monkey
Just, why? This is just plain out gross. Is that hair? Ew. Can you imagine a little kid opening up his birthday/Christmas gift and it’s this mutilated monkey? He would be traumatised for the rest of his existence. Honestly, I think I am too. I think we can all agree that this is just one of those disgusting things that should have never existed.
8. Andres Serrano - Piss Christ
This isn’t just unethical and potentially offending to all Christians/Catholics out there, it’s also so very disgusting. I don’t know about you, but pee and art don’t go in the same sentence together, ever. Putting an object into pee and calling it art is absurd. It doesn’t actually look gross; it could even be confused with a painting or an old picture. However, if you were to smell it, well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pleasant. Oh, and a crucifix? Really? Out of all the people you could have attacked with your disgusting art, you decided to attack a whole religion? That’s not very smart.
9. Samera Paz – Menstrual Cycle
Yeah, I’m sorry to tell you that you read the title correctly. This was made with someone’s period blood. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for celebrating the women's body and everything. But, regular blood is already disturbing as it is, most people get queasy just thinking about it. Now, blood that came out of your vagina? That’s just not right. There is a reason we throw everything that comes out of our bottom holes, and period blood is no different. So, why would anyone decide to keep it and use it to paint? Do you not have red paint? It’s not that expensive. I’m sure you can afford it and it probably isn’t as disgusting as this.
If you haven’t thrown up or gagged yet, congratulations. You made it to the end and I am very proud of you. I am so, so sorry I made you see that, but if I had to see it, so do you. I’m deeply disturbed by these images, and I hope you are too.
In all realness, though, I hope you enjoyed this and that the next time you come across some more disgusting art you’re numb because of how much grossness you just saw. Nothing can affect you anymore, you are immune. Okay, maybe not, but I tried!
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