SBRGENk (Japan) - BLOODBLISTER IV - art book review

SRBGENk – Bloodblister IV Unknown Cults
Softcover A4, 68pages, english/japanese
Contact: http://sweetrubberberry.sakura.ne.jp/
Purchase: artscum.org shop

Probably the best known incarnation of the Japanese attitude “Kawaii” – which I immensely adore – is undoubtedly young girls. Although in Japan there are also “cute” dustbins, traffic signs, shopping trolleys, sex toys and so on, the beauty i.e. “cuteness” of the female appearance is increased to iconic proportions in the Japanese world of art and therefore basically present. And here in particular, wild excrescences are becoming more and more prevalent, to tailor new, absurd facets into this beauty’s dainty face. SBRGENk has chosen an especially radical way. Many of his portraits of young Japanese girls and women show the actually
opposite side of “Kawaii:” Violence. And it’s not the supposed domestic violence which grows, for instance, in the blue eyes of Trevor Brown’s works – here are heads flying. But no matter how bloody things are (and yes, there is also a lot of undamaged stuff), the ubiquitous beauty of his models is always preserved and remains always in the centre of his talent as a painter. This has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with splatter films and glorification of violence; rather a completely new form of aesthetics is created out of the struggle of the two poles “cute” and “des-
truction:” an undestroyable and superior beauty. And admiration. At least mine.