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In this thoroughly postmodern piece, we see intertexual angst as signified by the uneasy juxtaposition of Johannes Brahms (removed from his natural time and setting) with a gigantic talking taco. At first glance, the black-and-white indifference of Brahms stands out prominently against the colorful movement of the angry taco. But further reading reveals an even more advanced layer of intertexts at play. While Brahms may seem the quintessential picture of a staid Victorian, the sloppy bowtie and fuzzy grey area surrounding his head are clear indications of a society in crisis: he is not stoic; he simply does not give a shit. The taco, effusive with cheese and lettuce, is also a representation of inner conflict: while it is normatively a passive object (food to be taken), this taco struggles to overcome its historical oppression by picking the fight - one wonders that the artist did not provide a slightly different dialogue bubble: "EAT ME, BIATCH!" Yet the angry taco is personified in one other way: its eyepatch and parrot allude to pirate mythology, and the Caribbean flavor of marauding bandits adds another disarming layer of complexity to the actor-taco. The eyepatch also functions as reference to an earlier work (seen here), which involves Brahms as the representation of modern pessimism in a hopelessly capitalist society.¹ The parrot adds yet another element of unease; its daring red color and cartoonish features serve only to displace the viewer's attention and create a continually moving source of focus.
These layers of intertextuality combine to produce an imaginative and deeply unsettling commentary on modern society. The seemingly random juxtaposition of Brahms and the actor-taco creates a surrealistic vision of capitalism and modern hopelessness in direct conflict.² If the taco threatens to invert its passive role and force itself onto the capitalist consumer, perhaps the more ominous threat is that of modern pessimism and indifference.
1. "I hate pirates" is clear condemnation of the capitalist dogma which instructs each individual to act for his or her own monetary advancement. Plundering for booty is not only acceptable in capitalist circles; it is necessary.
2. The long shadow to the taco's right is displaced - whose shadow is it? Clearly, the artist is alluding to the seeping time images made famous by the surrealist Salvador Dali, thus reinforcing the idea of achronicity that is already present in the main juxtaposition. |
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