Things We Love Blog

Credit: FXO

What is it: A few bits of internet detritus that document John Waters’ skill in assembling collections of tacky things.

Perfect for: Offending sensibilities through the power of embracing disgust.

Maybe you’ve encountered the work of ‘filth elder’ John Waters before. He’s quite famous, you know. William S. Burroughs anointed him the Pope of Trash, which very few people can even claim. Well, this week Waters has finally been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has a retrospective of his career opening at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Check it out! Very cool! There’s also this handy guide available if you are wondering where to start with his films.

This post isn’t about any of that, however! No. We’re going to ignore anything Waters has personally created and instead talk about how good he is at collecting things. Particularly things that reflect his dedication to the perverse.

A few months ago we at FXO were lucky enough to catch a temporary installation of artwork Waters has bequeathed to the Baltimore Museum of Art. For us, highlights of the exhibit definitely included the crushed cardboard box secured with locks and chains pictured above (Paul Gabrielli, Untitled, 2012) and a sequence of images from a daytime talkshow interview with a reformed satanist. Both take disposable elements of regular everyday life (recyclables and trashy television) and ponder them as intrinsically full of value. The installation guide is very much worth a read in its entirety, as it not only contains an interview with Waters, but also shows several pieces of artwork photographed while hanging in his home.

Speaking of which, the second piece of detritus we’d like to share with you is this video of Waters giving a tour of his Baltimore apartment way back in 1986. Enjoy!

BTW, the exhibit is now closed, but lives on in internet ephemera. Check out this link to the internet archive if / when the original is gone.