For an upcoming exhibition at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles, artist José Rodolfo Loaiza Ontiveros continues his trend of portraying popular cartoon characters from our childhood in very adult situations that include sexy selfies, drugs, and other profane activities. Titled "Profanity Pop," the exhibition is said to narrate universal themes (mythology, religion, and the representation of power), but "in the guise of the divine and with all the fragility of martyrs."
From Snow White taking a bathroom selfie with her thigh on the sink to Goofy and Donald smoking weed, these are definitely not the cartoon characters we remember. The Huffington Post writes, "while it's strange to see Mickey and co. exploring the dark underbellies of these taboo territories, it's also clear that Ontiveros isn't just going for shock value. His Disney reimaginings give two-dimensional characters the rare opportunity to transgress the 'Rated G' laws under which they were created, giving the cheery cartoons a freedom they were so long denied."
Ontiveros is definitely not the first person to transform Disney characters into alternate versions of themselves. Maybe it's because Walt Disney and his company have had such a strong impact on children and families for so many generations that it's easy to project our ideas and realities onto them for a change. Or, maybe artists know that people just love to see cartoons behaving like we do. Check out a few of Ontiveros' pieces above and head to the gallery website to learn more about the show, which opened today.
[via HuffingtonPost]
