sebastian horsley

sebastian horsley:

he agony and the ecstasy

Artists suffer for their work, but few are prepared to go as far as Sebastian Horsley. Here, the 'Soho Kristos' talks to Jessica Berens about his crucifixion, self-publicity and winning over the doubting Thomases

Sunday May 26, 2002
The Observer

When the artist Sebastian Horsley was thrown out of St Martin's School of Art for forging a document to gain a grant, he didn't mind too much. He was afraid that an institution might 'normalise' him. As a painter he never wanted to paint things as they were, but the way he felt and sensed they were, and the only way to achieve this was to undergo experience. When he painted sharks in 1997, he went into the sea in a cage and looked at them face to teeth. So, when he decided to paint the crucifixion, he decided he needed to be crucified. In the Philippines to be exact. On the week of his 38th birthday. In August 2000. Jesus Christ Superstar.