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From the Monster Show catalogue

by Bonnie Clearwater

Museum of Contemporary Art

Miami October13 to November 23, 1995

 

  Joseph Seeman began incorporating monsters and occult imagery into his work for their shock value. "Any response from the viewer is better than no response" remarks Seeman, who acknowledges that devils, witches, and demons scare and disturb people. His colorful cel animation paintings of devils and the inhabitants of Hell are in preparation for a full-scale cartoon he plans to produce. The images for these works are taken from an old book on the occult while other paintings include lurid figures appropriated from the cult genre of Mexican-Monster wrestling films and late night cable offerings. His work has been published in such underground magazines as Juxtapoz, Art? Alternatives, and Tattoo Savage. Seeman notes that he is trying to find images that have meaning to his generation; his peers "can't relate to Jeff Koons or the Abstract Expressionists," so he selects "a street level art that they can understand."