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Marilyn Manson and painter Gottfried Helnwein have joined forces to collaborate on a series of creations that are aimed at placing art on the edge, where it belongs. In the tradition of AKTION, the pair intend to have a powerful effect on the bland world of entertainment.
Helnwein's use of taboo subject matter has gained him respect and notoriety worldwide. Museums in NYC, Berlin, Vienna and Zurich are just a few locations where his challenging images have left controversy in their wake. He has worked with Marlena Dietrich and was chosen by Time Magazine to paint JFK on the 20th anniversary of his assassination.
The Simon Wiesenthal Foundation supported his work in Europe and here in Los Angeles, the Museum of Tolerance will be displaying a series of portraits that were vandalized by neo-fascists who labeled them "degenerate art."
His fight for expression and stance against oppression are reasons why Manson chose him as an artistic partner. Check the journal for candid pics and more. ...

Today I started to work with legendary painter/artist Gottfried Helnwein.
Thanks to Cyril, his son, we met some time ago and are now collaborating.
Today: Lighting, camera tests, juggling.
I am too exhausted to reveal the details of our work but it is multi-media-prop chaos that I know will please many and enrage more. I am honored to work with him...and he is having a gallery exhibit this Thursday in LA that I will be attending.
As I promised, here are a couple of behind-the-scenes shots taken by Matt N., my art assistant. These are not representative of Helnwein’s work as he is primarily a painter. (AMAZING PAINTER). ...

“This is a very serious and somewhat disturbing exhibition,” said Mayor Meralee Goldman, who is supportive of the exhibit and was first approached by the Austrian artist.
“There is an important component of education to go along with this exhibit,” Human Relations Director Mary O’Gorman said. “This is a Holocaust Memorial, and the intent at times is to overwhelm.”
The exhibit is described as “an art event to focus the conscience of the viewer and, through media exposure, the conscience of the widest possible public” by the artist’s draft proposal. “An art installation a city block long...will rise into public view to cry out against not only one of history’s most tragic and horrific episodes of prejudice, but also against the current resurgence of the endangerment of children through intolerance around the world.” ...

2002/06/01
I'm escorting Shannyn Sossamon to Gottfried Helnwein's L.A. studio tonight for a photo session. Gottfried is a genius, and possibly my favorite living artist -- so I'm thrilled for Shannyn to be shooting with him. Afterward, I'm taking her to the airport. She's flying out of town to shoot a short film (yes, you too can have Shannyn in your film -- she's that cool!). ...

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cover: "Head of a Child 4"
inside: "Head of a Child 5" 2000, oil and acrylic on canvas,
and "Ninth of November Night", 1988, installation at the Museum Ludwig, cologne ...

Franz Morak, Austrian Secretary of State for the Arts and Media, and Mr Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Consul General of Austria, visited Helnwein's studio in Downtown Los Angeles and had Breakfast there.
Together then, they walked to the nearby Los Angeles Geffen Museum of Contemporary Art to meet with curators, who gave them a tour of the museum. ...

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