In the last few months I have watched all of his films and read his book. While I have been obsessed with other artists, this has been my most intense and committed deep dive. I was first introduced to him through his more structured works (The Beach Bum and Mr. Lonely) then I started to unpack his more perverse and experimental projects. I found many of his films unbearable upon first watch (KIDS, Trash Humpers, Baby Invasion) but even then there is always a strong statement behind what he creates and these pieces proved to be constantly on my mind. One of the interesting aspects of his method is the fact that the harder something is to watch, the more it has an impact on you. He is more interested in creating viscerally poignant works than following the traditional conventions of cinema, and he has stated that he believes art to be perfect in the fact that it simply exists. What Harmony was able to create with Gummo is an amazingly unique directorial debut, and all of his projects since are impressively committed to his style and artistic vision. None of his works appeal to everyone, but none of his works necessarily seek to. Harmony Korine is a man that dropped out of NYU to skateboard and make movies. The more I have sought to understand what he creates, the more he has become an artist that I deeply respect.
