the NachtKabarett

All Writing & Content © Nick Kushner Unless Noted Otherwise

Aubrey Beardsley painted by Jacques-Emile Blanche	Marilyn Manson, as the Arch Dandy of DADA with the LOW ART GLOOMINATI

"I'd like to think of myself as the arch dandy of the era", as Manson likened himself to a new persona while composing The Golden Age Of Grotesque, and this new demagogue emerged. The term 'Dandy' emerged with popular artistic and poetic association in the latter half of the Nineteenth century in England and France heralding the new rebirth and era of decadence in art, poetry and expressionism. A Dandy can be described as an individual in the arts, specifically during this time period, with radical political and social views, an often shocking style and manner of dress which is often androgynous. The term was associated and popularized by the expressionists of the era such as Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley, whose portrait is hung above. Manson has cited both Wilde and Beardsley as influence on The Golden Age Of Grotesque, particularly expressing his admiration and appreciation of Oscar Wilde for his life and all his accomplishments, and it can be seen by comparison above Manson also likened himself towards these men, evoking the style and reveled decadence of this era.

Aubrey Beardsley was most famous for his illustrations for Wilde's play version of Salome, which was controversial and risked losing it's funding for both being illegal to depict and portray Biblical stories on stage in England at the time, the very sensual and erotic portrayal of such, as well as Aubrey Beardsley's illustrations for it which were deemed obscene. His illustrations often contained and depicted many obscene and sexually suggestive imagery. For Salome many of his initial drawings were flatly rejected by the editors for the candles as phallic symbols, in one a masturbating boy and another which depicted Salome herself holding an object which was too evocative of an instrument of sexual pleasure for the editor's liking. "As each new design design crossed [the editor's] desk, it was minutely examined with a jeweler's magnifying glass, upside-down and all around to ensure it contained no hidden indecencies." Beardsley's illustrations as a whole drew much controversy for their sensual minimalist nature, being demonized by critics as "audacious vulgarity and laborious inelegance" and that his work "intended to attract by its very repulsiveness and insolence".

Already it can be seen why Manson would choose to evoke this era for a myriad of reasons, for it's decadence, it's beauty through "repulsion" and particularly the public's participation in such, because it is THE GOLDEN AGE OF GROTESQUE. And like Manson, Beardsley played to the public, as their reaction was as much part of his art as his art itself.

It can be noted here that most of all of the decor and aesthetic of The NACHTKABARETT are taken from Aubrey Beardsley's illustrations. Beardsley also did illustrations for a collection of short writings and musing called Bon Mots, as listeners will recognize the title as a lyric in the title track of The Golden Age Of Grotesque. But much like the decadence and degradation of the culture in 1930's Weimar Germany, this movement of Dandyism of the late Nineteenth in Europe was very inspirational for The Golden Age Of Grotesque, the era of the revival of Decadence, Depravity and Expressionism. And given this which his performance and art is evocative of, reveling in and bringing back this celebration, from expressionism to burlesque to vaudeville and cabaret gives Manson the well deserved title of Arch Dandy.

Illustration for Salome, Salome holding a "sex toy"	Illustration by Beardsley 'Grotesque' from Bon Mots

 

 

Home

All writings, images and content © 2004-2008 Nick Kushner
Any unauthorized reproduction without prior written consent from the author, other than a brief excerpt for review or linking purposes, is a violation of copyright.