Andres Serrano is best known for his controversial images of Jesus on the Cross and Madonna with Child, both submerged in his urine. Serrano’s use of abstraction and organic compounds is the part of his work that I enjoy. He takes a biological look at what the human body produces. His more controversial work employs piss, blood, semen, and now feces; these are the pieces I have been studying. Serrano has been throwing this brand of social commentary at the art world for years now. His recent work, photographs of his own shit photographed against bright neon backgrounds are meant to show the complexities of human waste.
Serrano says, “Even though I consider myself a conceptual artist, I am a traditionalist when it comes to photography. I like to use film and shoot straight. No technical gimmicks or special effects. What you see is what I saw when I looked though the camera. If I've dazzled you with lights and colors, it's because I've dazzled you with lights and colors. Ideas are more important than effects. And effects are always better when they're real.”
I think Serrano is great because how often do we really contemplate what our bodies produce? Everything that we naturally make as living beings has been stigmatized by society and the media. It is not only socially acceptable, but we are expected to cover and mask our human odors, flush our waste, and as women, hide our menstruation as shameful weakness, not to mention the stereotypes attached to body hair. Serrano's brand of controversy may be more of a "f*** you" to the contemporary art world, but regardless, he is using his body to make art and I have a great respect for the work he creates.
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