Creative Insults

If diss tracks are considered bad, what about cartooning or comedic impressions?

An Australian influencer recently dissed diss tracks (like the rappers do) as a cultural artform. I felt the need to push back on this one.

Art involves the high and the low. And it’s not uncommon for some people to attempt both.

This painting I did, from about 2011-12 when I was living a few months in Krakow Poland as an ESL Teacher, is basically a diss-painting.

The head is a workplace manager I had who was giving me the shits (and just being a nagging office nuisance who was bagging my admittedly half-assed approach to the job). I was essentially powerless to object much, so I got my revenge on the art canvas (back in the days when I was still painting on canvas as opposed to panel).

I’ve done this a few times over different media, but usually a severe annoyance in my life will be rendered in an unpublished pencil or ink drawing. Watch out, I might have one of you somewhere.

But then in saying that, I’ve also cartooned friends and family.

Point is, it’s like an onstage impression in a comedy set or dramatized characterization. I see nothing wrong with it. Though if all you do with your creativity is insult other people then I can see how that might be a bit one-dimensional and reflect an inner insecurity.

You can’t really stop someone from using their creative expression to insult you publicly. The defamation laws might get you some of the way but when it comes to art the waters can get muddy. So this stuff will remain a part of life and society, for better or worse. Hopefully the general public and neutrals can discern fact from fiction and know not to caste a hasty judgement, though they probably will.

What can I say. Welcome to Earth,