7/22/2021
The levels of meta in this picture of Bezos is truly astonishing.
This above photo is an homage to the famous painting by romantic painter Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, entitled “Saturno devorando a su hijo” or “Saturn Devours His Son.” He painted this magnificent piece somewhere between 1819-1823, and it was part of Goya’s 14 Pinturas Negras or Black Paintings.
Goya’s inspiration was the ancient myth of the titan, Saturn, who devoured His own children to prevent His possible overthrow as ruler of all existence. Saturn was a God of Time so the painting shows how time devours us all in the end.
But Bezos’ presence in this painting changes everything. Bezos is clearly not devouring this phallic-ship, but is in fact fellatiating it, i.e., performing auto-fellatio. The phallic-ship originated in Bezos’ own loins, and only a deity like Bezos could detach Their phallus in a way which causes no harm in order to achieve perpetual self-pleasure from His own existence. And, His existence IS the ideal form of the neo-liberal subject: Homo Economicus — the self-made entrepreneur which through His own freedom is best able to deploy Their capital. Capitalism is itself an act of perpetual auto-fellatio with its horizons sketched out indefinitely by the promise of infinite growth.
We have the epitome of Homo economicus, Bezos, performing the essential function of capitalism, as every good capitalist has no other duty but to perform.
The package next to the Holy Fellatiator Himself, is the only new thing introduced to this painting. We know not what is in the package or the labor hidden within that led to the package’s current position. This is, of course, part of the nature of commodities: to conceal labor. The only clue we’re given is the logo, itself a phallic symbol which points towards the only thing that matters, His Space-High Holiness, the Fellatiator-in-Chief, Jeff Bezos.
Bezos is a god amonsgt men–this is clearly a neoliberal axiom–and hopes to eternalize Himself in the mythos of humanity by displaying novel and almost superhuman ways in which He can continue to perform fellatio on Himself.
But theres another meaning hidden in this painting that no amount of auto-fellatio could prevent from occurring. Despite devouring His children Saturn was eventually overthrown by His own son, Jupiter.
If you look closely at Goya’s painting the line between where the background ends and the figure begins is blurred, almost abstract if you will.
French Philosopher Gilles Deleuze said of Goya’s style:
“The abstract line acquires all its force from giving up the model–that is to say, the plastic symbol of the form–and it participates in the ground all the more violently in that it distinguishes itself from it without the ground distinguishing itself from the line.”
Difference & Repetition pg. 29
The line between existence and nonexistence is so thin as to be barely perceptible. We are all but a hair’s breadth away from no longer existing. And the ground Deleuze speaks of–the chaotic, contingent, neverending background of existence–is not itself distinguished from any of us. It is always there nibbling on our corners, waiting to fully devour us.
And just to get meta, its the background that is actually time. Saturn is just a temporary personification of time itself. Bezos is only a temporary personification of neo-liberalism, and eventually, when He becomes hungry enough and actually devours His own phallus, He will cease to be.
Either way, the background expresses a fundamental principle of reality:
the only thing that is constant is change itself.
Time is the continuous expression of difference-in-itself. Because changing from one thing to another is just another difference expressing itself, amongst a sea of imperceptible & neverending differences. As we are devoured by time, new differences express themselves, and we express differences in reaction.
We are difference-engines. And it is only when we as people can no longer be different that we cease to be.
I don’t actually know what any of this means. This just shows you what a bachelors in philosophy and some good ol lucy can cook up.
Check out this video where I explore Goya’s painting in EXPLICIT detail:
This website uses cookies.
View Comments
Have you heard the Unknown Mortal Orchestra tune, "Chronos Feasts on His Children"? Twas my introduction to the Goya painting. I learned today about the symbolism for time, so cool! Sharing with my other nerdy friends 😁