jay rechsteiner
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Then is Now Bad Painting |
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THEN IS NOW BAD PAINTING is a series of paintings that I categorize as Bad Realism - work that is deliberately "bad" not only in terms of style and craftsmanship but, more importantly, in terms of content. The rough, unrefined execution reflects the underlying ugliness of the actions depicted: the paintings are as bad as the world they portray. Each piece reimagines historical events that were once accepted realities but are now considered unthinkable in contemporary Western society. The series includes scenes such as a woman burned at the stake for witchcraft, the Reichskristallnacht, a minstrel show at a community theater, a man arrested for kissing another man, a concentration camp for homosexuals, and a Nazi citizen militia patrolling Berlin. While the events depicted are fictionalized, they are firmly rooted in historical truths. The uncomfortable connection between these past atrocities and current political developments is unavoidable. As with my original Bad Painting series, this work challenges Western ideals of beauty, perfectionism, and the fear of failure. I find the process deeply liberating - I am not bound by traditional technical constraints. Spaces are distorted, bodies are out of proportion, shadows fall in the wrong direction. The paintings reject aesthetic refinement in favor of raw, unfiltered expression. Although I don’t consider my work part of the mainstream Bad Painting movement, I have always been drawn to the freedom found in the work of painters like Joan Brown and Neil Jenney. Using "bad" technique not only frees me from the constraints of academic skill but also creates a feeling of artistic abandon - where everything goes, and nothing is off-limits. Unsurprisingly, this series is unpopular with some audiences—not just because of the way it is painted, but because of the subjects it confronts. Over the years (since I began this series in 2013), I have come to accept its divisiveness. Whether people love it, hate it, or reject it entirely is irrelevant to me. My work exists outside of those concerns.
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Then is Now Bad Painting 01: A woman found guilty of witchcraft is being burned at the stake. 61cm x 76cm |
Then is Now Bad Painting 02: Reichskristallnacht 61cm x 76cm
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Then is Now Bad Painting 03: A Minstrel show taking place at the local community theatre. 61cm x 76cm |
Then is Now Bad Painting 04: The police are arresting a man for kissing a man. 61cm x 76cm
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Then is Now Bad Painting 05: A concentration camp for homosexuals 61cm x 76cm |
Then is Now Bad Painting 06: A Nazi citizen militia group on patrol (in Berlin). 61cm x 76cm |
