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Truth being stranger than fiction, the outbreak and ensuing panic of a deadly madness epidemic spread by farm animals provides an apt theater for the absurd metaphor for our times. The title’s use is broad as it refers less directly to the meat-induced disease and more directly to a play on the word mad. The plethora of contemporary subjects worth getting angry over—including public health, environmental issues, stem-cell research and the war in Iraq—both reflect and cause a certain level of insanity, which has needled its way into our cultural subconscious. |
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Mad Cow: Absurdity and Anxiety in Contemporary Culture – Joelle Jensen
Truth being stranger than fiction, the outbreak and ensuing panic of a deadly madness epidemic spread by farm animals provides an apt theater for the absurd metaphor for our times. The title’s use is broad as it refers less directly to the meat-induced disease and more directly to a play on the word mad.
The plethora of contemporary subjects worth getting angry over—including public health, environmental issues, stem-cell research and the war in Iraq—both reflect and cause a certain level of insanity, which has needled its way into our cultural subconscious. These contemporary concerns do not remain localized to the news, instead they seep into our everyday lives, affecting our relationships and our dwellings. They creep into our dreams and color our references.
The artists in “Mad Cow” address contemporary concerns in a variety of media as they juxtapose animal and human nature. The artists use animals to express psychological and social issues with wide-ranging results. Each artist examines both the wild and the tame aspects of human experience, confronting the viewer with the duality that may be found in each of us.
