The Forgotten Surrealist
March 27, 2010 3:07 PM Subscribe
Je suis lesbien declares the artist. His legs are encased in black stockings, secured to a suspender belt; his waist is constricted by a tight corset. On his head he wears a veil and a black mask. His fingers press a switch, a shutter clicks and Pierre Molinier, the forgotten Surrealist, is caught on camera forever.
An incestual necrophiliac, his work specialised in Fetish photomontage. An Introduction by Jean-Luc Mercié. (NSFW)
An incestual necrophiliac, his work specialised in Fetish photomontage. An Introduction by Jean-Luc Mercié. (NSFW)
You think Duchamp was bad for exhibiting a toilet? This dude exhibited a DILDO. Checkmate, Duchamp.
posted by DecemberBoy at 3:30 PM on March 27, 2010
posted by DecemberBoy at 3:30 PM on March 27, 2010
these are full of awesome! and I had never heard of this guy. thanks, adam!
posted by By The Grace of God at 3:32 PM on March 27, 2010
posted by By The Grace of God at 3:32 PM on March 27, 2010
If Edgar Allen Poe taught me anything it is that there is a time to stop bothering your sisters corpse and start tuckpointing. I think Monsieur Molinier is kind of behind the curve.
On the other hand, he predicted about a quarter of the content of the internet (maybe more thanks to chat roulette) so who am I to judge.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 3:38 PM on March 27, 2010 [2 favorites]
On the other hand, he predicted about a quarter of the content of the internet (maybe more thanks to chat roulette) so who am I to judge.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 3:38 PM on March 27, 2010 [2 favorites]
Despite a few "goatse"-like shock value pictures, I find that the most jarring images here are the ones with all the legs.
posted by Kirk Grim at 3:39 PM on March 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Kirk Grim at 3:39 PM on March 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
This artist was clearly an influence on Witkin, and I am surprised I have never heard of him. Thanks for the links. The usage of fetish and pornographic aesthetics is definitely ahead of his time. I am particularly struck by the repeated theme of showing women's face and buttocks simultaneously (either by posing / contortion or surrealist invented anatomy).
posted by idiopath at 3:39 PM on March 27, 2010
posted by idiopath at 3:39 PM on March 27, 2010
The third image from the top here (second photo titled "Self Portrait") looks incredibly like Marilyn Monroe.
These are fascinating.
posted by sallybrown at 3:43 PM on March 27, 2010
These are fascinating.
posted by sallybrown at 3:43 PM on March 27, 2010
sallybrown - that isn't actually a manipulated portrait of Marilyn?
posted by pinky at 3:46 PM on March 27, 2010
posted by pinky at 3:46 PM on March 27, 2010
whoops, that link doesn't seem to work, so here is the ebay Marilyn portrait link.
posted by pinky at 4:07 PM on March 27, 2010
posted by pinky at 4:07 PM on March 27, 2010
From the all-art biography:
Like his father before him, Pierre Molinier committed suicide at 76 years of age by self-inflicted gunshot wound while masturbating.
Which may be just a grammatical error, but it does read like both he and his father committed suicide by gun while masturbating. Like his work, this interpretation has layers of improbabilities that look almost feasible enough to be real.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 4:17 PM on March 27, 2010 [2 favorites]
Like his father before him, Pierre Molinier committed suicide at 76 years of age by self-inflicted gunshot wound while masturbating.
Which may be just a grammatical error, but it does read like both he and his father committed suicide by gun while masturbating. Like his work, this interpretation has layers of improbabilities that look almost feasible enough to be real.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 4:17 PM on March 27, 2010 [2 favorites]
I'm wondering whether pinky is right (the photo is a collage that includes the Marilyn photo) or whether it's just a well-constructed homage to the Marilyn photograph.
posted by immlass at 4:34 PM on March 27, 2010
posted by immlass at 4:34 PM on March 27, 2010
self-inflicted gunshot wound while masturbating.
Well that just takes all the fun out of choking yourself while masturbating.
posted by localroger at 4:53 PM on March 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
Well that just takes all the fun out of choking yourself while masturbating.
posted by localroger at 4:53 PM on March 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
Whenever I think of him, I always imagine this image. It looks like you caught him doing something he really kind of wanted you to catch him doing.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:54 PM on March 27, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by louche mustachio at 4:54 PM on March 27, 2010 [3 favorites]
I respect the art here and its avant garde nature but this was a sick, sick man, and I'm not too sure if I can appreciate this art knowing what kind of fucked up mind was behind it.
When Molinier's sister died in 1918, he had sex with her corpse when he was left alone to photograph it. "'Even dead, she was beautiful. I shot sperm on her stomach and legs, and onto the First Communion dress she was wearing. She took with her into death the best of me."
posted by deacon_blues at 5:13 PM on March 27, 2010
When Molinier's sister died in 1918, he had sex with her corpse when he was left alone to photograph it. "'Even dead, she was beautiful. I shot sperm on her stomach and legs, and onto the First Communion dress she was wearing. She took with her into death the best of me."
posted by deacon_blues at 5:13 PM on March 27, 2010
localroger: "Well that just takes all the fun out of choking yourself while masturbating."
Russian Roulette is not the same without a gun And baby when it's love if it's not rough it isn't fun
posted by idiopath at 5:13 PM on March 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
Russian Roulette is not the same without a gun And baby when it's love if it's not rough it isn't fun
posted by idiopath at 5:13 PM on March 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
I can't get the video to load so I can't tell: did he look better in a corset than Tim Curry?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 5:16 PM on March 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 5:16 PM on March 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
No man looks better in a corset than Tim Curry.
posted by d13t_p3ps1 at 6:10 PM on March 27, 2010 [11 favorites]
posted by d13t_p3ps1 at 6:10 PM on March 27, 2010 [11 favorites]
Maybe I'm just really unhip, but I found a lot of those images... confusing. So many legs!
posted by Never teh Bride at 6:11 PM on March 27, 2010
posted by Never teh Bride at 6:11 PM on March 27, 2010
The Forgotten Surrealist
Yeah, except he's not, really. Molinier's never gotten the attention of, say, Breton or Aragon, not to mention Dali or Duchamp, but he's never been written out of the history of surrealism.
If you dig Molinier, you might dig someone like Unica Zürn.
posted by octobersurprise at 6:19 PM on March 27, 2010
Yeah, except he's not, really. Molinier's never gotten the attention of, say, Breton or Aragon, not to mention Dali or Duchamp, but he's never been written out of the history of surrealism.
If you dig Molinier, you might dig someone like Unica Zürn.
posted by octobersurprise at 6:19 PM on March 27, 2010
Well, thank you. I'd never heard of him and I LOVE his work. An HERO, this guy.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 7:25 PM on March 27, 2010
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 7:25 PM on March 27, 2010
Je suis lesbien declares the artist.
So that's where Axl Rose got the idea.
posted by jonp72 at 7:33 PM on March 27, 2010
So that's where Axl Rose got the idea.
posted by jonp72 at 7:33 PM on March 27, 2010
idiopath has pwn3d me. Too bad I don't own either a noose or a gun.
posted by localroger at 7:45 PM on March 27, 2010
posted by localroger at 7:45 PM on March 27, 2010
He lost the will to live after he was no longer able to maintain an erection.
If only Viagra had been invented...
Also, how do they know he was masturbating when he died and not just naked? I am suspicious.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 8:54 PM on March 27, 2010
If only Viagra had been invented...
Also, how do they know he was masturbating when he died and not just naked? I am suspicious.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 8:54 PM on March 27, 2010
An HERO, this guy.
Is that one of them sick 4chan jokes? Though come to think of it, a guy who claimed to have fucked his sister's corpse would feel right at home there.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 9:06 PM on March 27, 2010
Is that one of them sick 4chan jokes? Though come to think of it, a guy who claimed to have fucked his sister's corpse would feel right at home there.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 9:06 PM on March 27, 2010
sallybrown - I think he collaged his own face into the 1952 Life magazine portrait of Marilyn.
posted by adamvasco at 1:49 AM on March 28, 2010
posted by adamvasco at 1:49 AM on March 28, 2010
octobersurprise - more like Hans Bellmer who was Zum's lover.
posted by adamvasco at 1:54 AM on March 28, 2010
posted by adamvasco at 1:54 AM on March 28, 2010
Him, too.
posted by octobersurprise at 9:10 AM on March 28, 2010
posted by octobersurprise at 9:10 AM on March 28, 2010
"Don't dream it, be it..."
Uh, dream it, baby, dream it.
posted by tspae at 10:07 AM on March 28, 2010
Uh, dream it, baby, dream it.
posted by tspae at 10:07 AM on March 28, 2010
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