Adam Donaldson Powell's
extreme global literature, criticism, photography and paintings
this website is a journey into the "new consciousness" (spiritually, politically, linguistically, sexually, stylistically, and otherwise) through the lens of experimental and "extreme" art and literature.
"Extreme literature" can be philosophical, political, religious, sexually-oriented, profane, or just downright 'dangerous' because it rocks others' boat(s) personally. Not all literature is "pretty", and even humour can be considered provocative. Many authors have works they (and others) consider to be "extreme". All throughout the history of art and literature, artists and writers have pressed against and played with society's tolerances - in both "liberal" epochs, "conservative" epochs and (as now) in states of "moral confusion", where Western concepts of freedom of speech sometimes butt against national and local cultural mores and social politics; and where danger lurks and thrives on non-specific and situational social codes and fears.
The concept of ‘EXTREME ART AND LITERATURE’ changes all the time. What is actually ‘extreme’ today – in a mixture of globalised, regionalised, nationalised and localised perspectives? My own opinion is that ‘extreme art and literature’ today takes its starting point in the accepted banalities of everyday life, experiences and consciousness on the respective and combined levels (social, philosophical, political, economical, sexual and spiritual). Contemporary ‘extreme art / literature’ no longer attempts to shock in an obvious way, but rather entices the public to feel that he / she is a ‘member’ of the experiential understanding and consciousness, only to interject a "triggering" aspect that creates a sense of uncomfortableness caused by the realization that one has been busted by a banality. These “trigger mechanisms” are (in fact) integral parts of the art itself – often passing by in fleeting moments, sometimes blended in with an obsessive and "flat" (journalistic or photo journalistic) expression or a long tirade of banalities that do not even pretend to be surrealistic. These small "electrical shock" triggers will hopefully ignite an inner experience within the public so that the viewer / reader begins to investigate his / her own personal reality, his / her actual contributions to a collective reality and hopefully to re-evaluate his / her own concept of what one prefers to create as an individual and collective reality. The illusion of spiritual and emotion separation (the illusion that we are all separate, individual and self-sustaining entities that can determine our roles on Terra or in the Interlife totally without contact or influence with / from others) is a vital element here, and that common illusion is therefore "fertile ground" for artists. Here we artists and authors can play, provoke, prevaricate, entice, seduce and fool the audience to believe in us as a part of "themselves", and then trigger the reader / viewer to consider the possibility that there might be (in fact) a miscommunication or misconception running loose ... a sense of everyday reality that is inconsistent or which has consequences that one was never aware of.
Perhaps the most meaningful and interactive way to help another person to 'wake up' from their perceptual drowsiness is to enter into their everyday dreams and illusions (their banalities) and suddenly say "BOO !!!" Artists and authors who attempt to shock through their art with the blatantly obvious, often thus fail to
explore and exploit the deeper, symbolic depths of the subconscious and the more mystical elements
that make up our everyday and banal thoughts, activities, attitudes etc., and therefore are denied "personal access" by some viewers / readers who may consider the art to be too intellectual, too elitist, too directly confrontational, or too foreign. Sex and religion are often used today in art and literature as "shock elements". It is not necessarily sex or religion which are provocative or interesting in themselves, but rather the unspoken
and quietly accepted perceptions that we chain ourselves to unquestionably, and which can totally be set in chaos
just by the artist and author changing or adding one simple element or context that we do not feel belongs in our reality-defining "picture".
‘Extreme art and literature’ is thus not blatantly provocative in itself; it rather shows the audience the possible ramifications of acceptance, non-involvement, personal meanings and behaviour by confronting us with triggered or mixed in ‘extreme’ moments, and then lets the audience choose to begin its own personal creative life process of evalution and re-creation (if desired) ... without commentary or guidance.
Adam Donaldson Powell, Norway
ADAM DONALDSON POWELL (Norway) is a literary critic, an art photography book critic, and a multilingual author, writing in English, Spanish, French and Norwegian; and a visual artist. He has published several books (including collections of poetry, short stories, novellas, essays and criticism) in the USA, Norway and India, as well as several short and longer works in international literary publications on several continents. He has previously authored theatrical works performed onstage, and he has (to-date) read his poetry at venues in New York City, Oslo (Norway), Buenos Aires and Kathmandu (Nepal).
QUOTE:
"There is no doubt that Powell, Robert Lowell, Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath, John Berryman, Randall Jarrell, and Delmore Schwartz are the most talented American poets of the modern age." -- Dr. Santosh Kumar, Allahabad University, 2010, from his recent book entitled: Adam Donaldson Powell: the making of a poet.
ABOVE QUOTE FROM A NEW BOOK BY DR. SANTOSH KUMAR, INDIA:
"Adam Donaldson Powell: The Making of a Poet", a critical analysis of the published works of Adam Donaldson Powell. Order the book from Cyberwit.net: NOW!
ARTNEWS! Visit my ongoing online art photography exhibition: "Oslo street photography: Documenting the Shift"
Regarding “Oslo street photography: Documenting the Shift” ...
All over the world underground survival shelters are being built in preparation for “Armageddon”, “Nibiru” or just plain old self-destruction by mankind and/or Nature. Here in Norway a “doomsday” seed vault has been established to provide the basics for a “re-start” should the worst occur. My idea is to document the icons of high culture, alternative culture, the mundane and the voices of protest that I see while walking the streets of downtown Oslo, Norway … this unpretentious and ongoing online exhibition being nothing more and nothing less than a “time capsule” spanning the years 2010 to 2013.
Beauty, ugliness, art, trash, the meaningful and the mundane are all relative, especially in such fluid times as these. There is a shift of consciousness underway, and the transitional spurts sometimes happen so quickly that it can be difficult to remember how the world was just yesterday.
- Adam Donaldson Powell.
BREAKING NEWS: I HAVE THREE NEW BLOGS AT WORDPRESS.COM!!! THEY ARE: PRESENTING THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF LIGHT, ADAM FROM NORWAY'S BLOG AND ADAM DONALDSON POWELL'S ONLINE ART EXHIBITIONS
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @AdamfromNorway!
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All works copyright Adam Donaldson Powell, 2005 - 2012.
(except where indicated that photos and literary works are courtesy of others.)
This website includes literary works in many languages, primarily in English, Spanish, French and Norwegian.
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