MJ Hand Job was made at home during the pandemic, between March 13 and June 13, 2020. Using essentially an HB pencil and pad of found butcher paper, the work is about how society seems to be grappling with controversial cultural and historic figures.
Here the figure is the King of Pop Michael Jackson, who was one of the most influential artists - if not the most influential artist - of the twentieth century.
Jackson died in 2009 at the age of 50 in his sleep from a fatal cocktail of narcotics. The media had been reporting that Michael shared his bed with children for years. Yet somehow the inappropriateness of this noted pattern was overshadowed by his artistic genius, international fame and humanitarian work.
The HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019, brought the allegations of child molestation against Jackson to a wide audience, and offered thorough accounts of two accusers and their families that knew Jackson intimately. Needless to say the film's reception was mixed because Jackson was acquitted of all criminal charges.
Michael Jackson remains a figure among many in today's society who cannot be cancelled easily. His legacy so great and influence so unparalleled, we must debate how and whether we can erase or should regard him today.
Photos by Sam Hopkins at Shoebox Studio.
