This Young Monster explores the world of some of modern culture’s most beloved monsters, taking a look beneath the veil to discover their inner beauty. This is truly a celebration of artists who have become infamous for raising hell, transforming their bodies and creating wonderfully nightmarish visions with their art.
Just what does it mean to be a monster in modern society? Author Charlie Fox lovingly pulls apart the image of the freak and delves inside to explore their dark and intriguing world. Inviting you to join in and become one of the monsters as they turn their innermost desires and secrets into works of art, wearing their hearts (quite literally) on their sleeves for all to see.
Exploring the dark worlds that they’ve created and telling their stories, from the raucous slapstick comedy of Buster Keaton that often covered up a darker history, to the outlandish costumed art of Leigh Bowery, that allowed him to fully embrace his inner monster, taking in a whirlwind of stories along the way. It’s a journey of discovery, and a making of the monster, each as mesmerising and beguiling as the last.
It’s much more than biographies of these admired figures, as Charlie Fox weaves each tale together. Picking up a band of fellow misfits along the way (from David Lynch to Alexander McQueen), and piecing together the influences that they held on their work, even decades later.
This Young Monster looks to some of their finest moments in their careers, as well as their low points, which helped to shape them into the very monsters that they became. But for all their inner ghoulishness, their beauty still shines forth, as we celebrate everything that made them so adored by critics and fans alike.
Combined together, each essay makes for an intriguing series of tales, that looks beyond the monsters exteriors to discover a world of untold horrors and unknown pleasures within. If it’s horror stories that you’re looking for you won’t find them in here, but what you will discover is a darker side to some of history’s most unique artists and creatives, that’s an intriguing and thoroughly entertaining read.
THIS YOUNG MONSTER / AUTHOR: CHARLIE FOX / PUBLISHER: FITZCARRALDO EDITIONS / RELEASE DATE: 22ND FEBRUARY
