Carnivals of Life and Death: The Collages of Michael Dickinson
Michael Dickinson’s collages reveal the madness, greed and cruelty behind the televisual façade of normalcy that beams out from the leering and cheering 24-7 TV sets computers grocery store magazines newspapers and billboards that structure our days, colonize our souls, fuel the astral engine of our dreams. The cruel apes behind the democratic kings, pimped out Son’s of God, the nauseous rumblings in the bloated bellies of corporate organisms.
The lives of those who stand up and point out the Emperor not only has no clothes, but is also robbing a corpse have never been easy, hardships ranging from simple social ostracism to being tortured beyond the realms of reason in a dark room hidden from pages of time. Dickenson’s life has been no different, his trials ranging from the annoying yanking of his “The Carnival of Chaos” website by Tripod after he put up a collage of Dubya with a missile up his ass, to being told by Turkish authorities he was going to be prosecuted for “insulting the Prime Minister’s dignity” by displaying a collage of “Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan as a dog being presented with a rosette by President Bush in a pet show.” (Dickenson – of English origin – has been living in Turkey where he teaches English, also founding the Istanbul branch of the Stuckist art movement, of which he is a part). He faces one to three years in a Turkish prison if convicted.
We present three of his works. (Click the image for full size).
Update: In the comments Michael describes his incarceration for his art and his continuing legal problems with the Turkish authorities.
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Hello. The artist in question here. Someone told me about this write-up. Thanks.
You missed the fact that I was held for 10 days after the incident last year – 3 days in the notorious Turkish prison in Umraniye, followed by a week in custody at the holding center for illegal foreigners, where I witnessed scenes of sadism and brutality. After my sudden release last September (maybe because of media exposure?) I thought the case was over and done with, but I’ve been called again to court in October, when the opinions of 3 University art professors (selected by the court) will be considered as to whether my pictures are ‘Art’ of ‘Insult’.
Jail again, if the latter, but longer this time. Let’s hope the professors have a sense of humor.
Freedom.
whoa.. i was just going to laugh at the collage work.. but maybe i should just bow my head for a moment of silence since i’ve kinda been there done that and came away with dignity, as i wish you the best of luck in accomplishing.. speak for yourself if you have to.. always remember that.. following the rules of the courthouse doesn’t always land you the best result.
but as for the work.. nice i like the ones at your sites also.. punk dews on bush and blair, and the man and his dog one.. hahah.. but the one with rumsfeld as a nun was great.. keep it up man.. just remember not to use real names next time i guess, and have your site in a place that doesn’t have laws.