A Connection with Coleman

Original Sin is a book about Joe Coleman's life, and it contains the many portaits he has created throughout his career. All the pictures have a lot of different things going on in them, but each is unique. You wouldn't look at one picture and then turn the page and see the exact same thing. Coleman has so many feelings inside of him that he needs to express, and luckily he is able to do that through his artwork in numerous ways. Sometimes, he paints objects that you couldn't even imagine in your head, but he also draws famous people who have impacted his life, and that's when I came across Sigmund Freud. I was really interested in looking more closely at this drawing produced by Mr. Coleman. When I was in high school, I took a psychology class, and this semester I'm doing the same. Psychology has always been a subject that catpures my attention; it's just fascinating. Throughout the painting, Coleman wrote words, such as "libido," "ego," "eros," and "genital stage." In Psychology this semester, we spent about 2 months learning about Freud and his theories. I learned what all of these words meant according to Freud, so I thought that I was able to connect with this painting on another level.

Even though I was able to share this moment with Coleman, I still think he is absolutely psychotic. When Grant showed Rest in Pieces, I actually walked into Goldberg Lounge ready to give him a chance. I thought to myself, "He'll have the opportunity to talk, give us his point of view, and explain why he does what he does." Well, I tried, and i still think he is mental. Something is seriously wrong with him. He eats mice and adopted a dead fetus he named "Junior." I was shocked to find out he is a practicing Catholic, not because of his artwork but because of his behavior. He admitted he did drugs heavily and had a criminal record. My opinion of Joe Coleman hasn't changed for the better after watching that film or seeing his portrait of Sigmund Freud, but rather I have found him to be even more disturbing than before.