Definitely a landmark of Psychology and Psychopathology, Richard von Krafft-ebing's "Psychopathia Sexualis", also known as "Psychopathia Sexualis, with Especial Reference to the Antipathetic Sexual Instinct: A Medico-forensic Study", stands out as provocative and intense reading. An unnerving experience, to be exposed to experiences ranging from bizarre to outright disturbing, amid images of sexual violence and fetishism described in a cold, straightforward, direct manner typical of early Psychology studies, which only amplify the general dissonance of the work.
Indeed it was not designed as a aesthetic experience, nor a "literature" book per say, but I guess it can be used for those purposes aswell. Didn't find a thread about this book in the forum. Which surprised me, because I feel as if it evokes feelings similar, almost identical to the ones that arise from listening to Power Electronics. If not inspired by the same purposes, both the book and Industrial music in general converge on giving detailed descriptions, ("pathologically detailed", as Aspa put on this year's Bardo Methodology interview on N12) of aspects of humanity whose existence most people would prefer not to acknowledge, in a styllistic manner devoid of euphemism or sugarcoating. Bare exposition of events of such brutality yet put on with clear and direct words.
Me and my friends often make jokes about this book being "the first PE album ever". No wonder it was a major inspiration for William Bennett, alongside De Sade, as I recall from reading a 90's interview. The book design itself, at least in my edition, even looks like Whitehouse album cover - all blackened cover with the title and the author's name vertically aligned. I would say it resembles Whitehouse's music quite a lot - obssessive, repetitive exploitations of violent sadism and sexual imagery evoked by in-your-face descriptions.
Doesn't anyone likes this book?
This and Weiman & Prokop's "Forensic anathomy atlas" (for noobs, the spurce of most Corbelli's work as well of other gentlemen like John Zorn, etc) are surely the two most important medical book in my collection. There have been a couple of Italian editions and reading them at young age was quite an experience, much more than Kinsey's studies.
Interesting to note how many "deviant" behaviours (including those I indulge in) are now simply considered "tastes" and would cut the length of the book in half.
The book was quoted by a big Whitehouse fan turned Spain's finest graphic novelist, Miguel Angel Martin whose Italian publisher had many issues for publishing it in Italy.
Quote from: tiny_tove on January 13, 2025, 03:40:02 PMThis and Weiman & Prokop's "Forensic anathomy atlas" (for noobs, the spurce of most Corbelli's work as well of other gentlemen like John Zorn, etc) are surely the two most important medical book in my collection. There have been a couple of Italian editions and reading them at young age was quite an experience, much more than Kinsey's studies.
Interesting to note how many "deviant" behaviours (including those I indulge in) are now simply considered "tastes" and would cut the length of the book in half.
The book was quoted by a big Whitehouse fan turned Spain's finest graphic novelist, Miguel Angel Martin whose Italian publisher had many issues for publishing it in Italy.
I'm just starting to explore Zorn's output at the moment, but what is his connection to this sort of stuff? I'm assuming it is some thematic inspiration from some of the metal-tinged output?
Quote from: Balor/SS1535 on January 18, 2025, 02:01:51 AMQuote from: tiny_tove on January 13, 2025, 03:40:02 PMThis and Weiman & Prokop's "Forensic anathomy atlas" (for noobs, the spurce of most Corbelli's work as well of other gentlemen like John Zorn, etc) are surely the two most important medical book in my collection. There have been a couple of Italian editions and reading them at young age was quite an experience, much more than Kinsey's studies.
Interesting to note how many "deviant" behaviours (including those I indulge in) are now simply considered "tastes" and would cut the length of the book in half.
The book was quoted by a big Whitehouse fan turned Spain's finest graphic novelist, Miguel Angel Martin whose Italian publisher had many issues for publishing it in Italy.
I'm just starting to explore Zorn's output at the moment, but what is his connection to this sort of stuff? I'm assuming it is some thematic inspiration from some of the metal-tinged output?
Guessing the Forensic Anatomy Atlas is where Naked City's Grand Guignol artwork comes from. Always assumed that cover pic was by Witkin.
Quote from: Hakaristi on January 18, 2025, 03:03:18 AMQuote from: Balor/SS1535 on January 18, 2025, 02:01:51 AMQuote from: tiny_tove on January 13, 2025, 03:40:02 PMThis and Weiman & Prokop's "Forensic anathomy atlas" (for noobs, the spurce of most Corbelli's work as well of other gentlemen like John Zorn, etc) are surely the two most important medical book in my collection. There have been a couple of Italian editions and reading them at young age was quite an experience, much more than Kinsey's studies.
Interesting to note how many "deviant" behaviours (including those I indulge in) are now simply considered "tastes" and would cut the length of the book in half.
The book was quoted by a big Whitehouse fan turned Spain's finest graphic novelist, Miguel Angel Martin whose Italian publisher had many issues for publishing it in Italy.
I'm just starting to explore Zorn's output at the moment, but what is his connection to this sort of stuff? I'm assuming it is some thematic inspiration from some of the metal-tinged output?
Guessing the Forensic Anatomy Atlas is where Naked City's Grand Guignol artwork comes from. Always assumed that cover pic was by Witkin.
That would make a lot of sense. Thanks!
All the Grand Guignol photographs originate from the Dr. Stanley B. Burns Collection Of Historic Medical Photography. Zorn will have used the 1987 book 'Masterpieces of Medical Photography' (which coincidentally, Joel-Peter Witkin had a hand with assembling) for selecting the cover, which is called 'Dissected Head on Soup Plate'. All of Burns' books are very costly these days, especially the early ones like this and the Sleeping Beauty series.
https://www.burnsarchive.com/online-store/Poster-Head-On-A-Soup-Plate-p95030552
Ah, true. Should've just checked the liner notes. Notice Witkin has a similar head on a plate photo too. How about Painkiller's Guts of a Virgin?
That one? It's in the Weimann/Prokop book. Page 616 (or page 609 of the "Atlante di medicina legale" pdf that's doing the rounds online), fig. 64.
...which is obviously what Mr. Deplano was referencing in relation to Zorn.
I'm just trying to help!
Haha, me too, but ended up spreading misinformation! Was guessing which Zorn project it was, figured it must be one of the thrash jazz ones.
Love you guys. Couldn't remember the specifi, I just knew some of that was there. Personally, excluding one collage I may publish one day of one pic, I'll never use the Prokop. Too many people used it, especially bad copies from the PDF. I only allowed myself the liberty for the Atrax Morgue "Against life" reissue of old tracks for 999 Cuts. Using anything else from that would feel like stealing from Marco's archive since most of his aesthetic was based on that. So it made sense in that context but I think it belongs to him.
Quote from: tiny_tove on January 23, 2025, 06:14:39 PMLove you guys. Couldn't remember the specifi, I just knew some of that was there. Personally, excluding one collage I may publish one day of one pic, I'll never use the Prokop. Too many people used it, especially bad copies from the PDF. I only allowed myself the liberty for the Atrax Morgue "Against life" reissue of old tracks for 999 Cuts. Using anything else from that would feel like stealing from Marco's archive since most of his aesthetic was based on that. So it made sense in that context but I think it belongs to him.
Do you have a direct to link on where I can find this specific book? Pointing to Weiman & Prokop's "Forensic anathomy atlas". Just couldn't find absolutely anything about this book online, but for some reason came accross this article, which is quite amusing:
- https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmi/70/1.2/70_290/_article
The original German title is 'Atlas der gerichtlichen Medizin'. The first edition dates from 1963, but there were later reprints in 1987, 1992 (Jörg Buttgereit mentions purchasing a new copy of this in a letter included in the Headpress book 'Sex Murder Art') and more recently in 2018 (though it's OOP already: https://www.amazon.de/dp/3763028110).
It also had an Italian translation and edition in 1966, 'Atlante di medicina legale'. The pdf copies you can find online come from that.
Thank you so much!
in the 70s there was an art exhibition in Italy based on that which was partly shown in one of the best scenes of Armando Crispino's "Macchie Solari" horror flick