An Abstract Look at Art with Jonathan Meese

Jonathan Meese believes that art can be anything you want it to be, no matter if it's made from paint and paintbrush or ice cream and hair.
Check out the Best of VICE here: bit.ly/VICE-Bes...
Subscribe to VICE here! bit.ly/Subscrib...
Check out our full video catalog: bit.ly/VICE-Videos
Videos, daily editorial and more: vice.com
Like VICE on Facebook: vice
Follow VICE on Twitter: / vice
Read our tumblr: / vicemag

[@Alwaysdead101]

This man definitely understands art in the way that it can not be taught. You can not do art the right way, or the wrong way because it is completely neutral.

[@morrisw4284]

how do you know he is true

[@kauii_93]

What an artist. I wish i saw this in school. This is the first thing everybody needs to learn who wants to be an artist.

[@logician360]

This can... this brush... this penguin catalogue...

[@awesomevideosdone]

At 3:07 vices translation was incorrect. He actually says: the world out there wants me to suffer on the toilet And not The world out there wants me to have to go to the toilet! Why would jonathan meese say the second one?!

[@BadMetalCoin]

How do I get a Penguin Catalog????

[@ethank5681]

I got one $6

[@Plexpara]

i like him.listen,there is much freedom in his words.what he try to say is,stop all the "walls" in our head.

[@c.duncansutherland8347]

Excellent, I agree, so simple!

[@FancyTophatDude]

exactly, our mind has become pretty walled in, no room to value multiple points of view, to extend your reach, to throw conventions out of room. i shudder to think as to where this might eventually lead

[@Xplorer228]

Where the walls lead? Or where the reign of chaos would lead?

[@Thelavendel]

yes stop all the "walls" in our head and just shit on the street, assfuck our mothers, not shower for 10 years and just paint and have fun.

[@thetherorist9244]

its called anarchy and it creates nothing beautiful

[@killmeow4284]

Like anyone who has ever been so convinced by their beliefs, half of what he says is perfect and the other half is completely flawed.

[@Maria-up2yv]

Exactly. But he will never re evaluate anything because he's already counted himself perfect

[@christianfountain11]

I love this, it really brought a smile to my face. I think this man is completely out of his fucking mind and he's better off than most of us. He feels free and simple and happy with his life. You can criticize him if you please to do so, but it means nothing in reality, to him or anyone else.

[@Xplorer228]

Except he's not out of his mind.

[@fleischmann110]

​​​​​​@@Xplorer228 Exactly. NOT out of his mind at all but sharp af. No excuses. No ideologies. No boundaries. Insane, radical and true to himself like a child :) Awesome

[@cruxcommissa]

This should really be called 'A Straightforward Look at Abstract Art with Jonathan Meese'.

[@WOWTODAZ]

no man, its in no way abstract art that would not cover his work

[@neroinc5998]

When he says no @8:20 it sounds just like 808 hand claps. The gods dig what he’s saying.

[@jxy1726]

Ahhahah

[@GriswoldCain]

I feel like he's trolling the shit out of everyone.

[@ceejayblitz]

or high as fuck on shrooms

[@jakeaftermath7563]

Or he is just a free thinking creative human being... fucking marks.

[@epictetus9221]

He paints like a fucking champion, man.

[@KusaFromBerlin.]

the art is dead fucking serious

[@djsjjd15]

+Owellow He's definitely trolling. This man is a genius and I must follow his path. I'm off to enroll in art school as soon as I finish this post. Tomorrow, I will drop out because a person like me cannot be constrained by ancient institutions. Next, I scribble. Please send me paint or donations for paint. Gold spray paint is best.

[@Fabio035]

I'm so overwhelmed by how funny, provocative, surreal, fascinating and absurd the video I just watched was, that I don't know what to say. So I'll just say... "Scarlett Johansson ist totale kunst!"

[@rgawer2]

Danke Jonathan. Du bringst hier innerhalb von eine paar Minuten viel große Wahrheit zum Ausdruck, dieses Paralleluniversum der Kunst und seine Gluonen, die Werke die die Kausalität der Realität zusammenhalten.

[@ryanlaconte6243]

It's so good because he is completely out of his mind in Art he is fully Convinced. I feel that as any creating artist that fully understands the reason of why they create can only make it that much better Jonathan is just interestingly in a full belief Zone, it is fun to see makes me think of of how we all feel as painters/creators just wanting so much to be recognized its maddening think we all kinda feel like this to some certain extent Wanting to just scream.

[@themaster-zz1tb]

Artists like him tell us to be free in our approach towards life and art.

[@jenniferreggel4828]

Jonthan Meese is in line with the teachings of Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie. Nothing is wrong with the world as it is, it is perfect. Our egos and thoughts are what causes war and misery, et al. When he speaks of the Dictatorship of Art, he means instead of falling into the trap of human conditioning, we should just let go and let (his definition of) art take over. He is one of the great figures of our time. His words ring true.

[@paulyoldmac]

Jennifer Reggel Or as Hamlet said "nothing is either good or bad but thinking makes it so"

[@jonnattanbarreiro3098]

Es increíble, pienso lo mismo respecto de Eckart Tolle.

[@Liz-cp4xl]

Wow, another person who connected Meese with Byron Katie. I thought i´d probably be the only one in the whole wide world. Thank you.

[@cnotes5]

He literally spoke my soul i haven't felt like this since i first stepped upon Robert Anton Wilson. When your open and not so impacted by title, not concerned on claiming knowledge rather than living is when greatness occurs. I always become happy when here this type of talk and the understanding of creating rather than what he called nostalgia.....

[@heidiankers108]

Agree!.

[@lutherblissett3103]

"Our limited perception already constitutes an interpretation of reality." Someone actually understands this concept.

[@Bookrten]

man Vice you guys need to do more Art videos. they are good, we want more.

[@presswt]

Great but somewhat poorly translated.

[@zoekubeczek2806]

I really like this dude. He's very interesting. Throughout his speaking I could feel my confusion building, but if you interpret from his perception, it's like waking up to the sunlight, letting your eyes fade into and away from the haze, the overexposure.

[@epictetus9221]

I'd like to like this a hundred times. An uncompromising vision like this is hard to come by in this diluted time and age. Very cool.

[@frufoduhuso22]

Ich kann dieses Video mittlerweile fast wie ein Gedicht auswendig aufsagen weil es mir so aus der Seele spricht! Genie und Wahnsinn sind nah beieinander, Sprichwörter treffen auch in deinem Fall gut zu! Danke für deine Worte, deinen Weg und deine Einstellung! Lass dich weiterhin von nichts und niemandem von deinem Weg abbringen. Grüße gehen raus an die Mutti

[@SonOfNothingness]

30 seconds in and i love this guy already lol

[@wetolow7967]

WHAT THE FUCK IS A PENGUIN CATALOG!!!!!!

[@yoyotubero1640]

most so called artists went to school to learn art which is like asking someone to teach you how to love...art is freedom,you dnt teach art to learn art! its free,when you have it,then you have it. you dnt need to be technically skilled to become an artist but CRAFTSMAN does...art is like love,you dnt know it until you feel it...he maybe childish but his a real ARTIST to me!

[@ATocke]

he was at an art school

[@benksy96]

+Mark Tockloth he also hated it & disagreed with the concept of an 'art prof' & rules for art etc.

[@yoyotubero1640]

What is a Real ART then? REALISM??? Im doing art myself,and im mastering my own technique,my own way of expressing what i feel through my own ART...you cant put a standard on art,people who appreciate/understand art will APPRECIATE ART...

[@allanmajano5622]

youre right, but art school does serve a purpose

[@yoyotubero1640]

Of course it does...art school is not for free,they must have a purpose for you as a student who enroll in that art school...when i was going to college,i wanted also to enroll in an art school but we cant afford it And when i graduated college w/ a different course i realize that you dont really need art school when you have a passion in Art,eventually you'll find a way to learn by yourself and for me,its kinda special...Just my opinion. (Man,im having a hard time explaining my point cos im not good in english...)

[@MrMangoTomato]

Hes living in his own flowing existence, and this is beautiful..

[@leeleeleelee420]

"suck a lollipop, switch on some music and paint" words to live by, or die depending on your view/outlook :D

[@benblume6623]

His performance make me feel free from my worries for a moment and thinking brighter and wider. So, it is art for me. Maybe its because he is making a fool out of him. He is not talking intellectuel. He doesnt give the message: I think i am important. So is nice. Its confusing to see something like this nowadays. Everything is so serious. YOu must know who you are. You must do the right thing. YOu must be like this or that. Its so much pressure on our littles lives. Thats sad. we are wasting life with this pressure.

[@Gullfisken89]

Love this guy! Smart, outside of the system personality.

[@scarlettsosa1805]

5:42-5-52 Me at my art teacher the evaluation day

[@megavide0]

9:49 "Scarlett Johansson ist TOTALE KUNST." ;)

[@depfresom7608]

"...totaler Lolli, totale Süßigkeit."

[@innamelnychenko1609]

so simple thoughts, truly, art is like absolute freedom, like wind

[@lorenzmuller3542]

And life should be as well. But that is impossible in the presence of politicians.

[@NickPearsonMD]

this guy is great. I watch this alot

[@monk3ypoop]

I wish this vid was out a few years ago. I had an art teacher tell me that because I was finger painting on my pottery and it looked bad she was going to fail me. I was surprized at how much that ruined me. I didnt make and creatively for about 4 years. Great man.

[@Arqen]

Metabolism is something we can model by building a machine that digests food (or human brains). *The machine would shit out the purest form of art*. Scale and automate it, and art will come into power to reign over mankind... just as Jonathan Meese envisions. But art also has to happen in between shitting and eating. That time is spent scribbling shit on walls to burn calories... IF you're a human artist. But the metabolic art machine could spend excess calories by hunting for the food it eats (humans) to produce its artistic output (shit). The more people it eats and the more calories it spends hunting them, the greater the artistic output. And so, art will reign over mankind with ruthless efficiency. And the world will be covered in shit. Which is good fertilizer for plants. At the end of the day, plants will reign once again.

[@deadlypendroppingby]

pretty sure it's a penguin calendar

[@orangmutanklang7795]

Pipapopimmel Klingklangklong Klingeling

[@Liz-cp4xl]

Here is the right translation at 03:11: It is not: "it wants me to go to the toilet" , he says: "it wants me to suffer on the toilet".

[@lachlannwatt3367]

i'm pretty high right now. it makes no sense but it's so amazing.

[@peacearmani]

I love this guy. There is no my art or your art. Everything is just a toy!! Awesome!!

[@lintentioncom]

+Jetzt oder nie Revolution Der Typ ist total genial!

[@flemishbear9658]

What a communist would say

[@fudgepellet2481]

"Art is Nothing else" These paintings are for sale purposes. If he destroyed the paintings when completed, he would be innocent of hypocrisy.

[@fudgepellet2481]

you missed my point, which was his point. JM claims to be independent at best and indifferent at worst, of the "market". The fact that as you said, you can buy a piece of his mind if you choose, is what disqualifies his nihilistic babble. I've met too many of these Art Grifters.

[@wiernyinaczej]

Yeah...but he has to buy food and drinks to pee, eat, drink to pee again. And that is art.

[@Xplorer228]

Is that art though?

[@LeererZigarettenAuto]

He ones said: Why should art not cost the world? Then it would get rid of itself some day...the absurdity of all these things you buy with money will come out then...

[@fudgepellet2481]

sounds like an answer Messe would give.

[@simonjanik2724]

This is by far the best video on youtube 🤗

[@milesbarrera3501]

next door neighbor's mom: charlie is grounded. Little Jony Meese: But he must come out and PLAAAAAAY!!!!

[@walgi132]

This guy is a true artist. His views reflect mine almost perfectly.

[@samiam0931]

Love this man Amazing working!! Don't be envious!! Take it for what it is art !

[@seanlennart4740]

wow watching this again is so refreshing, the penguin catalogue is the best interview device

[@spiderstorm777]

"Dis is a penguin catalog" TOTALLY PRICELESS

[@queerartstudio1229]

this was incredible, he's a true artist.

[@MrTripcore]

Nicolás Valencia bullsh*t artist

[@queerartstudio1229]

Tripcore ok, i accept that he's kind of crazy and his words are not very clever but at the end of the day the most important thing about an artist is his talent, and he has a lot of talent.

[@MrTripcore]

Nicolás Valencia if you say so

[@slickster2880]

+Nicolas Valencia and then you sobered up!

[@DallasGreen123]

Sure, when we think of the swastika, the symbol is not bad, our thoughts to it are. But humans are not only separate individuals, we are like a beehive, we have a collective mind, we have a collective memory, he forgets that. In everyday life, we need symbols that trigger the same thoughts in everyone, we need them like words, because we are social beings. When I want to write an essay, I need to use words, symbols that everyone knows and understands. When I use meaningless fantasywords, I can create art, but I cannot create something of practical use. His vision just doesn't work.

[@welshriver]

***** This is exactly his problem. He wants words and symbols to be owned when they are in actuality, shared. So he gets mad when the swastika offends. Why? Because he knows he is being offensive.

[@kameronwraithd.k.5363]

+DallasGreen123 Mr Meese is right about that, and besides the swastika is originally from India and has a positive meaning :p

[@DallasGreen123]

Kameron Wraith du Kemp How can you agree with Meese and in the same sentence say that the swastika has a positive meaning? Either it has a meaning or no meaning...

[@kameronwraithd.k.5363]

we all have our contradictions :P this video is a good example of this xD

[@matthewhickey8565]

"Because art is everything, and everything is great"

[@casperhauser6560]

imagine: you are a package deliverer, you ring his bell and ask: sorry, can you accept a package for the neighbor? .... and he gives you this 14-minute answer

[@Kisibellss]

Krasser, intelligenter Typ. Ein moderner Vertreter der historischen Avantgarde. Gute Ansätze!

[@ed-od9sd]

he seems kinda elitist about being not egotistic about everything

[@monkeymogul]

hes one of the best performing artists we have.

[@Hellcat915]

he is a painter and sculptor, and that makes him an artist. Him saying not being one isn't relevant since the outside world refers to him like that for this exact reason.

[@carledgarconsiglio]

He speaks well but the price for his work does not go hand in hand with what he is saying.

[@philipschnittger7095]

Money is an abstract concept. It's just paper. Nothing gives it the value that it has. so by taking his words one should "play" with money. that's why there is no hypocrisy and your argument is, i'm sorry i have to say that, therefore invalid. I think the reason, why thoughts like this offend so many people, because money is so real to them. don't get me wrong i'm no rich fuck and i had and still to figure out how to handle money and get through tough times with limited resource, but is live really all about that? doesn't make you the lack of taking it so serious and thinking of money as an abstract concept make you free? do you get where i'm coming from. Money isn't worth shit, we are just told to think it is, so our system works, which it frankly does but it also controls us in a sad way. and that is exactly what he is trying to tell. Free your mind, if not in the real world than at least in art. and at the end of the day you don't have to buy his art, and most of the time nobody does, what you try to buy is his idea, even though that is kind of stupid and yes i can see that in this he kind of makes fun of people. but nobody forces you to buy it, he just offers it.

[@philipschnittger7095]

sorry for the misspelling i was writting straight from my heart :)

[@heidiankers108]

I unconsciously wanted to use his $price as a way to deny his offering, and then saw what I doing..I was sucked in to the obscene Box - because why not make mint mint mint, that is the toy too. !.

[@12345JJBB]

I feel like I could get a real hold on speaking German just watching this guy talk with subtitles, he's got great hand gestures and everything lol

[@TheMasterbationfilms]

ART IS ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

[@samiam0931]

Art is subjective!! Art is everything and every where!!

[@diesense4268]

Egal was man von ihm hält,er verdient respekt dafür dass er seine Scheiße durchzieht und die Kunstlobbyisten mehr oder minder verarscht.

[@SnipesWithWolvesV2]

He's art isn't bad, but his views are incredible.

[@pepe7drum]

my dad is an arquitect and he is like some sort of artist i think, he used to paint like this, elements that give this sense of absolute obsolensence but is quite powerful to the eye... is something in the chaos that attrack just too much... and the difference beetwen my dad and this dude, is that my dad dont talk too much shit

[@agathosdamon728]

There is only one problem within art.....the artist.

[@seylaart64]

"And Art ist not a person" wonderful Jonathan

[@Unit4327]

One of my teachers always used to say art is an idea. Probably the best way to explain what the full spectrum of art is.

[@DreamClean]

The old masters would be ashamed.

[@Odlopo]

How old because Picasso Dali Matisse all headed in this direction they would probably be infatuated with this guy if not by his art his thought process and outlandish way

[@romanovrex]

The old masterbators,...if they weren't dead, then we would have to shoot them!

[@taticocteau]

Omfg! Hahaahhaaha, I'm loving this!

[@liukang85]

I lost it when he started drawing swastikas 🤣🤣🤣

[@MrLars0007]

Stunning and awesome free form artwork. I am inspired.

[@einervonvielen6069]

Cooler Typ , hab Werke von Dem im Städel Frankfurt gesehen , der hat recht👌

[@fruitylife3710]

yes ! this guy gets it .

[@hempeltempel]

Leonardo's contribution to society was his mathematical, anatomical and conceptual engineering work. His drawings were just the medium for it. Did I say "Abolish all arts!"? No, read again (I was at an arts and design school btw). What I said was 'we should destroy the arts *industry* and its *market*'. In my opinion, too much money is spent there (often for bullshit) which is highly needed in other parts of society. Art should be art and not a source for money and profit.

[@psiklops71]

this guy is a genius i love his work i bet it's expensive

[@SOliverGV]

Disagree with almost everything. In my opinion he thinks like a naive child

[@davidr9266]

Thats the point, get close to the child and left behind all the "education" that you have, jut be you. You are not going to be the same as he, and there is the rich value of art, and not in the technique.

[@Plexpara]

maybe thats not so wrong.i mean....child got no problem to get friends with other childs.they just meet and start to play....friends.maybe we need that more on your planet full with wars.

[@SOliverGV]

I don't think he is approaching nothing new to the art scene... Moreover... no sign is neutral... everything has a history and a context, and an artist need to be aware of that. He is careless and disrespectful with human history.

[@Plexpara]

Sara Oliver hmm you see....put the iron cross on another planet with another species.and you will see how neutral a sign really is for them.so its just in our human mind.he is right about that. same with his words about pornography. a diddo is just a damn piece of plastic.what we make out of it is our mind.

[@soSkikik]

I guess the result of LSD abuse looks exactly like this. At least he looks like a harmless guy.

[@dilananonymouslastname1445]

I remember vice did a video on street art back in the day and they were interviewing a really talented man who was trying to make a statment. He painted a bunch of skulls in an tunnel for traffic I really wish I could find it that was dope

[@fleckx]

The guy has his + and his - like the rest of us. Don't judge. That's the whole point. Anyway, best thing he said, IMO: ART HAS COME INTO POWER. Indeed.

[@bdubflow]

I like his style 100% completely free

[@AndreasZimmerman]

I can't wait for the non-abstract look at Jonathan Meese.

[@hempeltempel]

The music, an average person consumes is usually is an industry product ("music industry"), not art. Art, in my perception, is the artists expression - that's the only thing it is meant to be. If it has another use, it is a product of design or architecture. That goes for a lot of music of course, but is not what you find on 90% of iPods. If a musician says: "I want my music to make people happy" is just another way of saying "I want people to buy my stuff, thus I make it appealing."

[@XaviertheStoner]

Although I don't believe you should receive negative criticism due to voicing an honest conjecture, but can't you see you've been played? The artist wants you to react in this manner, and it IS the evocative power of an artwork which creates the art in the viewers mind, art is not dictated by aesthetics...however this is just my opinion on what art means to me.

[@mrblisterfist]

He sold at Christie's Auction House (London) the following prices: £132,500 , £85,250 , £48,500 , £31,700 , £37,250 , £20,000 etc. etc. That buys "huge warehouse-type spaces".

[@joebazooks]

That was the most epic 14 minutes I've ever heard.

[@MrVincentValium]

Jonathan Meese ist so ein wundervoller und ehrlicher Mensch... I think the english translation is way softer than the german original sound ;)

[@kiter1surf2]

people that don't get what he is saying-watch it again until you get it. i think he has the solution to the entire human problem on earth.

[@iudaoh3qzad21e]

What he trys to explain is Freedom, lovely.

[@noble610]

i would like to have this man's mind for a day.

[@JohnKerrHipHop]

If someone "established" said some of the things he said, they'd be quoted for generations to come. It's funny how the messenger defines the message.

[@Desert2GardenLV]

He knows nothing but by virtue of that he knows everything. Very clever.

[@KillSwitch05]

I disagree. I don't think you would go to art school to learn how to do art. Art is a form of communication, we have our ideas, we learn how to speak to communicate with others and share our ideas, we learn how to write to express them to others in the future. People go to art school to learn how to express theyr creativity. Picasso could paint with great realism, look at some of the portraits he did, he did study art. Yet he made his own unique art.

[@vaildog1]

This guys the real deal, smart and good to listen to. We'll see about the art.

[@calumkz]

He does make a lot of sense. It's very simple right and to the point

[@liquidminds]

he is an artist. talking bullshit is part of his art. art in general is about opening your mind to ways that weren't there before. you can hate it. you can love it. you can call it genius or bullshit. You just cannot ignore it. that's why there always will be some people who hate his work, and some people who spend thousands of dollars to buy it. that's why he is an artist. beeing liked by everyone is not a criteria for beeing an artist ;-)

[@tonymontano6898]

Some Interesting Art There

[@vietnamwasfun]

its not about being a fan, you dont need to be a fan of his artwork to get it. by getting it you understand it you dont need to LIKE anything in order to understand it, but if you understand things it proves your intelligence, and even in mathematics there is no right or wrong answer. there are just so many variables that people ignore 95% of them in order to match their answer with another persons. and thats the issue with art that job is addressing - people are too accustomed to set variables

[@MrRobertBatchelor]

I thought this video was going to be rubbish, but I got completely mesmerized by his words. They didn't make 100% sense to me but I still felt like they had a lot of meaning behind them.

[@JDSproducitons]

Art to me is an representation of self expression... That said I find it difficult to judge extreme abstract such as this. I think art doesn't need to have rules, but I always have that voice telling me that this may be bullshit. I think the only way I could appreciate this mans work is if I met him and judge his sincerity.

[@Madulamblongata]

apparently dmt (as well as similar psychedelics) is supposed to dissolve the way we consume propaganda, laws, etc. and basically change the way we think. but i've never tried it before, mainly due to the price of it (im only a student). If you've never heard any Terrence Mckenna before I would recommend it, his theories about creativity, evolution, and society are really interesting

[@bansteban135]

You dont "have" to buy his art. Those pieces are ideas thought up by him. If you choose to buy it then its on you. But he does not force you to buy his work.