This article discusses a recent new exhibition for the Smithsonian Art Museum which features work from many artists across multiple disciplines that all correlate to a theme of destruction and chaos. Saltpeter and tnt blocks by Liz Larner sit side by side with photos of destroyed bedrooms by Jeff Walls a a video of rioting by Roy Arden. The exhibition will even feature a reprisal of a live art performance by Raphael Ortiz, who gained fame when he destroyed a piano in 1966. The work featured in the show is not modern- in fact most of it premiered decades before, when art featuring violence and destruction was a scandalous subject to tackle.  The reason behind showcasing an exhibition which on the surface, seems to merely show cool destroyed stuff, is centered on the idea that art must destroy before it can create. Another viewpoint mentioned in the article and particularly interesting to me, is that destruction is a form of pessimism. This is explained by Gustav Metzger, an artist and Holocaust survivor. An interesting note made by the article’s author is that Metzger was also the mentor for Pete Townshend, the guitarist of the Who. Metzger’s theories on auto-destruction and anti-art, depicted in his public art works of throwing acid on his own paintings, was influential to Townshend who himself explored destruction by smashing his guitar onstage. This is now a rock classic.

The exhibition by the Smithsonian explores works across many decades and disciplines and is archival in nature. Although the idea of violence in arts is not new, it is still prevalent in todays art world and considered radical.

The greatest irony for me while reading of art exhibitions that try to display and intellectualize violence and destruction, is that they themselves reject violence. When it is done by an artist, it is considered high art. When it is done by an ordinary person, it is considered pornography.

I think violence can be very expansive for the mind and broaden a person’s understanding of normal. Although we hate to admit it, violence is inside each and every one of us. We love seeing things blow up. Watching Tarantino slice off dozens of heads per movie is exciting and delightful. Yet we try to reject those feelings as being inhuman. I think that violence can be a form of exploration and release. Many of our society’s members, most drawn to violence, take on jobs that let them do so- ex. Policemen, surgeons, and butchers. We consider this normal. However, going on forums like 4chan or sites like tumblr to watch videos of people being killed/burned etc is considered not normal. It is not considered art.

I think it is silly to destroy a piano, guitar, or car in an exhibition and celebrate it as anything more than the same type of destruction that people do in their backyards when they try to blow up watermelons or the like. While the curator, Fergusen, says the exhibition is not just about smashing things up, I’m sure if he looked closer, or read the book ‘Violence in the Arts’ by Fraser, he might see that it is.

Also, the reason why this post sucks is because my computer crashed three times while writing it and my autosave failed every time. I’m not rewriting it. Feel free to destroy it in the comments as you wish.

Gopnik, Blake. “Bang! Kaboom! Art! ‘Damage Control,’ at the Hirshhorn, Explores Neglected Trend.” NYTimes. N.p., 23 Oct. 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2013.