“We are all natural Nazis, fascists, murderers, full of repressions and hate.” Raphael Montanez Ortiz, a Brooklyn-born musician and artist made famous for his 1966 “Piano destruction concert,” claims this as he goes on to say, “ Instead of pouring out our natural aggressions on people, we should use them in an artistic framework.” This idea of “auto-destructive art” that Ortiz hints at has become a sort of novelty in the art community that has gained popularity over the years and is now gaining a show in the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum properly titled, “Damage Control: Art and Destruction since 1950.” The show will contain scenes ranging from a piano being smashed to an atomic missile going off. It will demonstrate art through destruction and show how life can come from even death. This idea of “auto-destructive-art” and the fact that even in destruction there is art is an interesting one, and although it isn’t easy to go see the show at the Smithsonian, it’s still something to contemplate about.
Article Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/24/arts/design/damage-control-at-the-hirshhorn-explores-neglected-trend.html?_r=0
