Originally Posted by Charlie White
How has the meaning of aliens and humanoids in your work evolved over time?
Over the past four years I have dealt with the idea of aliens, demons, monsters and, currently, the convergence of all three in one humanoid character. I think that my work has slowly moved from an outside notion of aliens to a more personal understanding of the “other.” The “other” that I have created is Joshua, a living, breathing, person completely destroyed by insecurity. In my previous project [In a Matter of Days, 1999] I wanted a vehicle to deal with the city of Los Angeles and the people and landscapes that define it. The task of making LA the location of an urban apocalypse seemed natural, and as a result, the monsters that set out to devour it only made the obvious more clear. With the current work I was interested in moving closer to the subjects, into the homes, lives, and social gatherings of people, and to do this I needed another vehicle--Joshua. Joshua allowed me to deal with a few major concerns regarding how people exist, both privately and publicly, in the world. I am interested in people and the animals that we become.
What the hell is going on in “Getting Lindsay Linton”?
Revenge. This is an image about rage, hatred, and the discomfort of experiencing those emotions. In “Understanding Joshua” the world is, among other things, divided between blondes and brunettes. The brunettes exist (in the mind of Joshua) on a similar plain as he does, while the blondes inhabit a superior world of cleanliness, beauty, and organization. “Getting Lindsay Linton” illustrates a violent outburst against a blonde, maybe for Joshua’s entertainment, maybe his torture--it is unclear as they hold him and force him to watch. I feel that the image “Fantasy” helps further explain Joshua’s position on such acts against those he perceives as socially superior--at least his repressed urges. “Getting Lindsay Linton” is important because it helps to destabilize reading the events and actions within the image as literal, that is to say, Lindsay does not have milk on her face, and this gang of young men is not just holding her.
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