Super Freak I, 2023

Am I weird, strange, sexually deviant, or eccentric? My whole adult life I’ve been referred to as crazy. And worse. As Rick James sang in 1981, “I’m a super freak, a super freak. I’m super freaky” (was he ever). In actuality, Why is it that anything (or anyone) out of the ordinary is ostracised, marginalised, made to feel like a pariah? Thinking differently should be encouraged and affirmed but is often viewed as a red flag pigeonholing those that dare to dwell beyond societal norms as aberrant. Human comportments of all stripes should be celebrated, as long as you’re not responsible for someone ending up in scraps hidden under the floorboards.

When people or phenomena deviate from the norm, the tendency is to push away, criticise, and dismiss, rather than encourage unorthodox approaches to the status quo; which could usually benefit from a swift kick in the ass, that especially rings true in the art world. Change is essential to rupture states of complacency and to establish new paradigms in art and science. It’s a shame that contrarian behaviour is so readily perceived as threatening and deleterious instead of embraced. This is precisely analogous to the traditional art world’s knee jerk reaction to crypto art.

There is a long history of “Freak Shows” also referred to as “Odditoriums” which dates back to mediaeval times, where people considered physically unusual were put on display like caged animals. Exhibiting those with deformities—extreme diseases and conditions—as objects of interest and entertainment is barbaric and sadistic (especially by today’s standards), but had been routine for hundreds (and hundreds) of years.

The same could be said for those of us that think in an atypical, nonconformist manner. We are dismissed as “special”—signifying a degree of mental malformation—and menacing in an increasingly homogenous, conservative society; which is, in fact, scarier than all of the nutters I know combined. Consider this a clarion call to fight the fear, let your guard down, and, as Missy Elliot sang, Get Ur Freak On!

• Kenny Schachter

About the artist

Kenny Schachter is a New York-based digital artist and curator with over 30 years of experience in the art world. His digital artworks blur the lines between physical and virtual spaces and often incorporate 3D animation, sound, and interactivity to create immersive experiences. He has had numerous shows at prestigious galleries, including a retrospective at Joel Mesler’s Rental Gallery and a one-person show at Kantor Gallery in LA.