| The Helpmeat series of drawings began, absurdly enough, with the reading of a line from Genesis, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helpmate.” The synonym “helpmeet” didn’t exist until a slow series of errors of translation occurred (the first in the King James Bible, and the second in a poem by John Dryden in 1673). By the 19th century, “helpmate” had become “helpmeet.” The evolution of this word and its idea, from Judeo-Christian creation mythology, through error and later through written art, until it was digested and passed through the engine of culture into its current form fascinates me. |  |
Brett Despotovich
The Helpmeat series of drawings began, absurdly enough, with the reading of a line from Genesis, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helpmate.” The synonym “helpmeet” didn’t exist until a slow series of errors of translation occurred (the first in the King James Bible, and the second in a poem by John Dryden in 1673). By the 19th century, “helpmate” had become “helpmeet.” The evolution of this word and its idea, from Judeo-Christian creation mythology, through error and later through written art, until it was digested and passed through the engine of culture into its current form fascinates me. The Helpmeat series of drawings is an exploration of this process of cultural digestion, and the transition from reverent forms into the meat of culture through art and time.
My work has always used the figure as a central motif. This naturally leads to my interest in anatomy. Making art that focuses on the body is at risk of being passed off as kitsch. Making art that is referencing Internet porn is definitely kitsch! But beneath the skin of kitsch, in its bones rest the poetry and pulse of our culture.
I use charcoal and conté on frosted mylar, which gives a sensitive translucent glow to the work. By seeing the drawings with incomplete borders, or the silhouette of masking tape, the drawings, as well as the figures are stripped down. In the introduction to the book Naked Lunch, the author William S. Burroughs states that the title, originally suggested by Jack Kerouac, “…means exactly what the words say: naked lunch, a frozen moment when everyone sees what is on the end of every fork.” Helpmeat is an excavation of the history and meat of what is on the end of the fork of art today. It is not just “food” criticism: a look at what we consume, and what consumes us. Helpmeat is a consideration of ingredients. By understanding them and their sources, perhaps we can enter our next meal as gourmands, and allow for a more considered and subtle evolution of taste. The art world today is not bereft of myth and poetry. Carve any kitsch, and any careful knife will reveal a wealth of cultural information. Helpmeat is a dissection, the making of which reminded me that we have not lost the depth of art to a consumer culture. Art is entering a new era. We do not yet begin to know where it will lead, but movements have not halted. Innovation is not dead. Yes, we stare at cadavers. Yes, we call them kitsch. But if we let them decompose instead of plastinating them, they will feed new life, and it is our task to help it be ready for harvest. Helpmeat is an invitation to grow, be decadent once again, and dine.
