The Thousands

The Vegemite of the arts world perhaps? Alex Vivian has as many haters as he has lovers. Depending on who you ask, Vivan’s work can effect sweet satisfaction or a quick sprint to the toilet bowl. For an example please see his noise art, hypnotic, pig-snort-sampling a cappella over trance-inducing soundscapes, or his mind-addling, LSD blotter sheet cum magic eye medieval comic book collages.**Vivian’s next artistic triumph is no less confronting. ECSTASY AND DECAY explores both extreme pleasure and the intense collapse of ideas, understanding that these concepts are not necessarily simple or, um, discrete. It’s an exercise in opening the mind with Dungeons & Dragons role playing, torture and sex, loss of self control, drugs, passion, fantasy, partying and freedom. This is presented in a rubbish dump context, or the aftermath of a comic book convention, or any sort of breeding ground for men, trolls, boys and guys.