Serrano’s (not so) Humble Investigative Triumph

Self Portrait by Andres Serrano

In some circles Andres Serrano is more known for offending religious groups and politicians or fueling the visual direction of a heavy metal/trash band than he is for being a ’serious’ artist. One could say that the controversy over his Piss Christ (1987) placed him on the art world map as well as the cultural map of the United States. The artist has photographed several works involving his utilization of blood, semen, and human milk. Serrano’s work made an impact throughout the 1990s-- though the positive and negative implications of that impact-- concerning public opinion of the art world and culture-- can be debated. For example, his past work-- involving semen and blood-- was featured on two album covers by heavy metal / thrash band Metallica-- a choice that received both praise and condemnation by fans and critics at the time. Since those years Serrano has found a new direction with his work… his own feces.

According to a recent interview with New York Magazine it took Andres Serrano twenty years to discover that his own feces was a viable medium for expressive purposes. He went on to say that he was “done with piss” twenty years ago. In the interview Serrano hinted that he has pushed feces further than it has ever been pushed before by an artist-- including Piero Manzoni . In fact, Serrano mentions that the character Borat is more of an influence to his fecal work than Manzoni. Andres Serrano considers his new body of work to be a “serious investigation” of the matter .

Serrano has went on to proclaim that he is “wise” for exploring feces as a medium and that other artists will envy his decision to explore that aspect of bodily waste in the way that he has. Oddly enough, my years as a mental health worker inform me that certain individuals have explored the creative capacity of feces as a form of expression much longer than Serrano has with his recent work and possibly before Manzoni’s Merda d'Artista (1961). That is not to suggest that Andres Serrano suffers from mental illness nor is it meant to suggest that Piero Manzoni suffered from mental illness… though psychologically I would say that Serrano-- just like Manzoni before him-- is very anal about his art.

It should be mentioned that Andres Serrano avoids digital manipulation within the context of his work-- so technically what you see is what you get, so to speak. His large prints are produced by conventional photographic techniques. While Serrano is most known for exploring bodily fluids he has also photographed images from morgues, burn victims, hate group members, the homeless, and “kinky’ portraits of couples. However, with his work involving urine-- including Piss Christ-- Serrano achieved widespread fame and infamy.

Serrano has long been a prime target for those who support the idea of a culture war in the United States and has been celebrated by strong supporters of artistic freedom. These responses are due to Piss Christ and the controversy that is still relevant today concerning the piece and its social implications. Thus, I think it is safe to say that Andres Serrano will be known more for his use of urine than for his use of feces-- regardless of how 'wise' or revolutionary he considers himself. Sorry Serrano.

On a side note, after hearing Metallica’s latest release, Death Magnetic, I think one of Serrano’s current images would have been an appropriate album cover. What can I say… I like Metallica’s pre-Load tracks. Sorry Metallica.

What are your thoughts about Andres Serrano and his art? Do you think that Piss Christ played a major role in the negative opinions that some people have concerning the art world? Do you consider Serrano to be an artist? Should supporters of artistic freedom give their support to artists like Serrano? Or is Serrano exploiting their good intentions? Feel free to comment with your thoughts.

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin

Senior Editor

www.myartspace.com