This suite of photographic self-portraits represents the first time a cohesive body of photographic work has been published by the musician/devotee/activist Theo Cedar Jones. These images were selected by the artist as stills taken from his spontaneously performed video blogs, all but two of which are completely unscripted "rants" that show an artist who has assumed the entire civilization order of Earthkind as his artistic "medium".
There is a sense in which these images seem staged and scripted, portraying an actor playing different characters. When you view the video blogs themselves, many characters and moods pass through the artist with mercurial rapid-fire speed, making it possible to miss what these stills reveal. These images show more clearly some of the characters the artist brings to bear in the construction of his arguments, meant to perform a persuasive function on behalf of his larger campaigns.
In several video blogs the artist assumes an alter-ego known as the Non-Violent President, a character who takes responsibility for the welfare of everybody-all-at-once. The artist shows a countenance sometimes stern and grave, or explosive and commanding, and then suddenly calm, relaxed and low-voiced, and then begging and crying to his Guru.
His work occupies a gray area between performance art, propaganda, political rhetoric, and provocation, in the spirit of Sacha Baron Cohen, Russell Brand, and Stephen Coibert. This artist takes the grandiose narcissism of these artists a step further by, among other things, claiming to be the world's leading advocate of the Global Cooperative Forum, the institution that the artist believes is the only thing that can save the world. In addition, the artist claims to be "awakened", or in his terms, released by the Grace of his Guru Adi Da from his own activity of ego/self-contraction. In addition to saving the world, and being "awakened", the artist is a singer, guitarist, producer and songwriter in the rock band Swaybone, with which he is bringing his message of devotion and prior unity to a growing audience of rock fans.
Whether or not one believes the claims of the artist that he is "awakened", or has the ultimate vision for saving the world and making a new civilization for planet Earth, there is an impressive consistency in the passion, earnestness, force, and even ecstasy with which the artist weaves his arguments.
The result is a body of images that stand on their own, independent of the video blogs from which they oriiginated. The still images reveal the artist's use of his own body as an icon of beauty and love radiance, to attract people to his Guru's Presence, which is being invoked by the artist, and coming through the artist to the listener. These images show the artist striving to create a form of sacred art mingled with provocation - what he calls "godbait" , or classically beautiful art designed to draw people out of and beyond their egoic suffering, limitation and bondage.
Bunuelo Constantin
Clear Lake, CA
There is a sense in which these images seem staged and scripted, portraying an actor playing different characters. When you view the video blogs themselves, many characters and moods pass through the artist with mercurial rapid-fire speed, making it possible to miss what these stills reveal. These images show more clearly some of the characters the artist brings to bear in the construction of his arguments, meant to perform a persuasive function on behalf of his larger campaigns.
In several video blogs the artist assumes an alter-ego known as the Non-Violent President, a character who takes responsibility for the welfare of everybody-all-at-once. The artist shows a countenance sometimes stern and grave, or explosive and commanding, and then suddenly calm, relaxed and low-voiced, and then begging and crying to his Guru.
His work occupies a gray area between performance art, propaganda, political rhetoric, and provocation, in the spirit of Sacha Baron Cohen, Russell Brand, and Stephen Coibert. This artist takes the grandiose narcissism of these artists a step further by, among other things, claiming to be the world's leading advocate of the Global Cooperative Forum, the institution that the artist believes is the only thing that can save the world. In addition, the artist claims to be "awakened", or in his terms, released by the Grace of his Guru Adi Da from his own activity of ego/self-contraction. In addition to saving the world, and being "awakened", the artist is a singer, guitarist, producer and songwriter in the rock band Swaybone, with which he is bringing his message of devotion and prior unity to a growing audience of rock fans.
Whether or not one believes the claims of the artist that he is "awakened", or has the ultimate vision for saving the world and making a new civilization for planet Earth, there is an impressive consistency in the passion, earnestness, force, and even ecstasy with which the artist weaves his arguments.
The result is a body of images that stand on their own, independent of the video blogs from which they oriiginated. The still images reveal the artist's use of his own body as an icon of beauty and love radiance, to attract people to his Guru's Presence, which is being invoked by the artist, and coming through the artist to the listener. These images show the artist striving to create a form of sacred art mingled with provocation - what he calls "godbait" , or classically beautiful art designed to draw people out of and beyond their egoic suffering, limitation and bondage.
Bunuelo Constantin
Clear Lake, CA
Photos by bunnybunns and Theo Cedar Jones