Body fail, the morbid photography of Joel-Peter Witkin
Joel-Peter Witkin is a Albuquerque, New Mexico artist who distorts photos using special techniques such as negative scratching, toning, bleaching, surface disressing, multiple negatives, printing on tissue, and hands-in-chemicals printing to create challanging peices that shock and intrigue. Witkin worked as a war photographer in the Vietnam war, he also was exposed to a decapitation at a very young age. His works carry the delicate tonality of a 19th-century ambrotype, showing morphed scenes with human body parts and deceased subjects with a strong satirical sentiment against vanity. Witkin was forced to shoot in Mexico at a time when there was alot of pressure against his works in the states. Many of his works are revolting and explore the modern horror terrain without reserve.
