I knew Jack Kevorkian wrote (back in the 1970s he published in a literary journal that I’m on the board of now) and I also knew he painted (badly). When I was in Boston in August I was able to see some of his creepy works first hand…I don’t know what to say about them (really) other than the fact that they are dark and gruesome.
I decided to post about it when I spotted this article today in Waltham’s Daily News Tribune…it is appropriately titled “Death becomes him.” I also have NO explanation as to why people greeted the morose artist with thunderous applause. I love the lede:
The dying Jack Kevorkian is trying to get his point across.
The man known in the 20th century as Dr. Death marked the opening of his painting exhibition “The Doctor is Out,” at the Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown by speaking largely about his run for Congress in his home state in Michigan.
Greeted like a rock star yesterday afternoon, the 80-year-old Kevorkian, who fought and went to jail in his crusade for euthanasia, brushed the standing ovations, the crowd and the encomia aside.
“There’s too much praise for someone doing their duty,” Kevorkian said. “Courage is knowing what’s right and doing it.”
…
“It really isn’t art. Its main mission is conveying a philosophic point. An abstract point,” he said. “I call it pictorial philosophy.”
… (source)
Thank goodness he doesn’t think they’re art. Also, here’s a video of the event if you were curious…though you’re probably not.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1893296&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
Jack Kevorkian’s artwork on display at Armenian Library from steve bagley on Vimeo.
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