#supermasochist

[postpunkindustrial]

This past Monday I went to the Philadelphia Psychotronic Film Society and saw SICK: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BOB FLANAGAN, SUPER MASOCHIST at PhilaMOCA.

was an American performance artist and writer known for his work on sadomasochism and lifelong struggle with cystic fibrosis.

His closest brush with the mainstream was him ‘‘starring’‘ in the Nine Inch Nails- Happiness In Slavery video. 

Nine Inch Nails- Happiness In Slavery (Uncensored)  Big ol’ trigger warning here

EDIT: Here is the link as any shareable video has been wiped off the internet.

https://vimeo.com/3556108

Near the end of his life he was the subject of a RE/Search book Bob Flanagan: Supermasochist and a documentary Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist.

You can get the Movie from my Google Drive HERE

And as far as I can tell RE/Search aren’t selling PDF’s of this so you can get the book from my Google Drive HERE

Once again big trigger warnings. Thar be graphic medical and S&M ahoy.

[e-ste-tica]

because it feels good because it gives me an erection because it makes me come because I’m sick because there was so much sickness because I say fuck the sickness [...] because I was humiliated by nuns because of Christ and the crucifixion [...] because of doctors and nurses [...] because my parents said be what you want to be, and this is what I want to be, because I’m nothing but a big baby and I want to stay that way, and I want a mommy forever, even a mean one, especially a mean one, because of all the fairy tale witches and the wicked step mother, and the step sisters, and how sexy Cinderella was, smudged with soot, doomed to a life of servitude, [...] because of the Inquisition [...] because it’s in my nature because it’s against nature because it flies in the face of all that’s normal, whatever that is because I’m not normal [...] because my parents loved me even more when I was suffering because I was born into a world of suffering because surrender is sweet because I’m attracted to it because I’m addicted to it because endorphins in the brain are like a natural kind of heroin [...] because it is an act of courage because it does take guts [...] because you always hurt the one you love.

[thenervebible]

sick: the life & death of Bob Flanagan, supermasochist

[vampryn]

stills from happiness in slavery, featuring bob flanagan (supermasochist)

[kingtankgirl]

copped one of the last 2 supermasochist shirts from flesh cvlt im so excited :)

[satellitefeed]

hiii movie rec ask game !! 19 and 30 🩷🩷

hiiiiii 💖💖💖

19. a documentary/video essay: im going to make the insane suggestion of sick: the life and death bob flanagan, supermasochist (1997) bc its really one of my fave docs of all time

30. a film to feel bad: sick can also be a feel bad movie but my go-to movie when i want to be miserable and unhappy is, of course, twin peaks fire walk with me (1992)

[heavnarchive]

SICK: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BOB FLANAGAN, SUPERMASOCHIST - $35

[zeozeozeo]

Bob Flanagan was an American performance artist, stand-up comic, poet, and lifelong sufferer of cystic fibrosis. He was also a masochist, who found that his S&M experiences helped manage the pain of his illness.

Kirby Dick’s internationally acclaimed award-winning 1997 film follows Bob and his wife, Sheree Rose, through the last years of Flanagan’s life. It is deeply moving, often hilarious profile of a unique artist, giving an insight into Flanagan’s warmth, courage and sense of humour. (Text source: BFI)

[process-productionryanmurphy]

Research

The topic I am looking at for my studio practice based work could relate to a few of the theory lectures e.g. feminism and psychoanalysis. Leading from this i have been looking at Meg-John Baker, Jessica Benjamin, Otto Kernberg and Timo Airaksinen so far. Timo Airaksinen is also the author of 'A Philosophical and Rhetorical Theory of BDSM' which is published in 'The Journal of Mind and Behavior' which i intend to continue reading for critical practice and to support my studio work. I would like to visit the UK Leather and Fetish Archives (Bishopsgate Institute) as it has a large collective of imagery and documentation surrounding the topics i have listed above. Bob Flanagan produced a documentary film called 'Sick: The life and death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist' which I intend to watch as it documents the life him and his wife, their 24/7 D/s dynamic, his health and his death. This would be an interesting insight into the correlation between BDSM, art and mental health. There are also various interviews with the artists/riggers centering around their practice and what it means to them, finding supporting research could prove more difficult as there are slightly fewer papers written on these very specific sections.

[mistress-milano]

Ho sempre pensato che il giorno in cui sarò malato e non potrò vivere con il mio masochismo, mi impiccherò per il collo e mi castrerò Mi piace lasciarmi andare ...perdere un certo livello di controllo. Ma decido io a chi mi arrendo e con chi mi arrendo. Perché sono totalmente consapevole della natura incontrollabile della mia vita: alcuni giorni mi sveglio e non riesco a respirare. Quindi devo adattarmi e fare qualcosa di diverso da quello che avevo pianificato. La gente dice sempre - Oh, il masochista è sempre sotto il controllo - e lo dicono in modo peggiorativo. Ma non penso sia brutto voler controllare la sua vita

Bob Flanangan

[iamtryingtobelieve]

"With all my heart and soul, all I ever wanted was to be strung up, spanked, splayed, saddled, stuck, strangled, split open, spread eagled, shit on, spat at, sewn up, shoved, shackled, shaved, shocked, sucked, zapped, soaked, screwed, stripped, scratched, suffocated, sacrificed, straight jacketed, squelched, stifled, scorched, straddled, stoned, smothered, smashed, screamed at, shouted out, snapped in two, sawn in half, stamped on, sat on, sodomised, stuffed, starved, strapped, stretched, submerged, surrounded, slugged, socked, scarred, skewered, slaughtered, stung, struck, slapped, slammed, sutured, swept up, saturated, savaged, seduced, stroked and spent"

Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist (1997) Dir : Kirby Dick

[thenervebible]

sick: the life & death of Bob Flanagan, supermasochist

[jackaldandy]

Bob Flanagan & Sheree Rose

[imagesbyjackaldandy]

Tributo a Bob Flanagan & Sheree Rose.

[mad-prophet-of-the-airwaves]

Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist (1997, Kirby Dick, USA)

[sophiedelaney2]

WEEK ONE: Performance Research

Bob Flanagan's Supermasochist performance, Berlin, 1995.

To start off some academic research about performance, the body and endurance I read the article ‘Performing Chronic: Chronic illness and endurance art. Performance Research’ by Martin O’Brien.

For Bob Flanagan, masochism means endurance … endurance over his own limitations. It’s very much (I don’t want to use the word ‘Zen’) a meditation process where you ‘will’ yourself into another state of consciousness (Sheree Rose in Andrea Juno and V. Vale).

Flanagan was a life-long sufferer from cystic fibrosis, who began to make art in order both to explore and express his masochistic sexual desires, and to combat his physical pain. He makes performance art about a chronic disease and believed that masochism is a form of endurance - especially self-imposed endurance due to his illness.

This reading really fascinated me that an artist who suffers with chronic illnesses can endure such performances. In my situation, I have chronic back pain which limits my body from performing/moving in certain ways. However, Flanagan’s story is inspiring as he does not let his illness stop him.