Search Results (20)

Marine animals without faces (MAWFs), are some of the most important creatures maintaining the ecological balance in marine environments. How these animals are depicted across conservation organizations may impact public perceptions and conservation efforts. We assessed the online presentation of sea stars, jellies, and corals among all public websites of institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) (N = 237). Among the organizations with an aquarium (n = 125), only 55 (44 percent) profiled at least one of the three animals, resulting in 89 total profiles. Five general approaches to characterizing these animals emerged: (1) scientific social distancing, (2) beautiful and eye-catching, (3) grotesque, otherworldly, and strange, (4) brainless beauties, and (5) objects of touch, entertainment, and experience. While some practices, like touch exhibits, can support empathy outcomes among visitors, online profile practices may contribute to the objectification of these animals among visitors, which could ultimately impact conservation attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. Full article

This article examines Marcel Janco’s Holocaust drawings, positioning them within the broader discourse of Holocaust representation, trauma, and avant-garde aesthetics. Created in response to the Bucharest Pogrom of January 1941, these works resist both forensic realism and pure abstraction, instead embodying rupture, instability, and fragmentation. Janco’s grotesque distortions neither document events with the precision of testimony nor dissolve into conceptual erasure; rather, they enact the instability of Holocaust memory itself. This essay argues that Janco’s Holocaust works, long overshadowed by his modernist and Dadaist contributions, challenge dominant frameworks of remembrance. Through comparative analysis with artists, such as David Olère, Anselm Kiefer, and George Grosz, it situates Janco’s approach at the limits of witnessing, exploring how his figures embody violence rather than merely depict it. While Olère reconstructs genocide through forensic detail and Kiefer engages with the material traces of memory, Janco’s grotesque forms share an affinity with Grosz’s politically charged distortions—though here, fragmentation serves not as critique but as testimony. Furthermore, the study interrogates the institutional and critical neglect of these works, particularly within Israeli art history, where they clashed with the forward-looking ethos of abstraction. By foregrounding Janco’s Holocaust drawings as both aesthetic interventions and acts of historical witnessing, this article repositions them as crucial yet overlooked contributions to Holocaust visual culture—demanding recognition for their capacity to unsettle, resist closure, and insist on the incompleteness of memory. Full article

In this paper I explore how fears of incorporation, sexual violence, permeability and ‘leakiness’ and metaphorical and literal villains are negotiated within the contemporary fairy tale retelling tradition. Through the close reading and comparative analysis of two twenty-first century Young Adult (YA) retellings of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ from the 2010s (Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce and Elana K. Arnold’s Red Hood), I argue that this representation and negotiation of sexual, violent, and gustatory appetites is made possible due to the intersection of the fairy tale, horror, and YA genres, creating a unique space in which the lycanthropic and human figures are sources of dread and intrigue and the terrifying and absurd. In doing so, I argue that this contemporary tradition continues the well-established narrative of the fairy tale as a site of simultaneous high dramatics and interrogation of the everyday. Full article

An oeuvre as redolent with the spirit of satire and humor as Percival Everett’s can be said to represent, at the same time, an anthology of humorous devices—a “humorology,” so to speak—and a self-reflexive meditation on the existential, philosophical and/or metaphysical implications of such an attitude to language and life. The Trees (2021) is a book about lynching, in which a series of gruesome murders all allude to the martyrdom of Emmett Till. Even though such subject matter seems antinomic to humor, the novel is rife with it. We propose an examination of the various guises of humor in this text, from wordplay and carnivalesque inversion to the more sinister humour noir, black or gallows humor, and an assessment of their dynamic modus operandi in relation to political satire, literary parody and the expression of the unconscious. The three axes of our analysis of the subversive strategies of the novel will be the poetics of naming, from parody to a form of sublime; the grotesque, macabre treatment of bodies; and the question of affect, the dual tonality of the novel vexingly conjugating the emotional distance and release of humor with a sense of outrage both toned down and exacerbated by ironic indirection. In keeping with the ethos of Menippean satire, humor is, therefore, both medium and message. Full article

The earliest metazoans probably evolved from single-celled organisms which found the colonial system to be a beneficial organization. Over the course of their evolution, these primary colonial organisms increased in size, and division of labour among the cells became a remarkable feature, leading to a higher level of organization: the biological organs. Primitive metazoans were the first organisms in evolution to show organ-type structures, which set the grounds for complex organs to evolve. Throughout evolution, and concomitant with organogenesis, is the appearance of tissue-specific stem cells. Tissue-specific stem cells gave rise to multicellular living systems with distinct organs which perform specific physiological functions. This setting is a constructive role of evolution; however, rebel cells can take over the molecular mechanisms for other purposes: nowadays we know that cancer stem cells, which generate aberrant organ-like structures, are at the top of a hierarchy. Furthermore, cancer stem cells are the root of metastasis, therapy resistance, and relapse. At present, most therapeutic drugs are unable to target cancer stem cells and therefore, treatment becomes a challenging issue. We expect that future research will uncover the mechanistic “forces” driving organ growth, paving the way to the implementation of new strategies to impair human tumorigenesis. Full article

Lacquered wooden sculptures of fantastic hybrid beasts adorned with real deer antlers are among the most extraordinary examples of sculpture found in Chu tombs dated from the sixth through the third centuries BCE. Conventionally known as zhenmushou 镇墓兽 or “protecting tomb beasts”, the antlered sculptures have grotesque features, including bulging eyes, fangs, and protruding tongues. In the fourth century BCE, production and use of these sculptures increased and peaked in the Hanxi region of Hubei province. Although most of these figures have been found in tombs in Hanxi (west of the Han River), distinctive variations of antlered tomb sculptures are also documented in regional areas of the Chu polity, including the Nanyang Basin, the Upper Huai, Eastern Hubei, and Jiangnan. Through a systematic regional analysis of Chu antlered sculptures, this paper presents a spatial framework for analyzing this unique genre of Chu funerary sculpture. This approach provides fresh insight into the interregional networks of interaction across the Chu state and beyond, via waterways and the Suizao corridor from the sixth through the third centuries BCE. Full article

Originally displayed in Paula Cooper Gallery in New York City’s SoHo district, Andres Serrano’s The Morgue series continued the artist’s controversial and transgressive work. Set against a black backdrop in a mortuary, he photographed dead bodies in different stages of decomposition. In this article, I borrow from Charles Taylor’s cultural analysis of the secular and Flannery O’Connor’s literary theory of the revelatory power of the grotesque to discuss Serrano’s artistic choices. In essence, I argue that his work is not a desecration of humanity but a stark reminder of the sacralization of humanity. As such, Serrano’s work is not provocative for provocation’s sake, but a provocation to poke holes in a disenchanted age. Underneath Serrano’s images is the question: if this is a heap of flesh, why are you provoked? In a culture that avoids death at all costs, Serrano reminds the contemporary world of their mortality with an updated form of memento mori art. Full article

Malignant syphilis (MS) is a rare form of secondary syphilis with grotesque skin lesions, systemic manifestation and life-threatening complications. This article presents a case of MS in an immunocompetent 41-year-old female, who initially manifested with a generalized nonpruritic erythematous rash and systemic symptoms. She was mistreated for generalized impetigo and hepatitis attributed to chronic alcoholism. After partial recovery and a 3-month latent period, she developed infiltrated plaques with crusts on the trunk, head and neck; pharyngitis and laryngeal lesions; generalized lymphadenopathy and nonspecific systemic symptoms. Serologic tests confirmed syphilis, and cerebrospinal fluid analyses indicated the presence of anti-treponemal antibodies. Urine drug screening was positive for cannabinoids. The polymerase chain reaction from skin biopsy samples identified T. pallidum, confirmed with Warthin-Starry staining. Immunohistochemical analysis was uncharacteristic. Tertiary syphilis, neurosyphilis, ocular syphilis and otosyphilis were excluded. However, the patient was treated for neurosyphilis with benzylpenicillin (18 million IU intravenously daily, 14 days) and corticosteroids. No Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction occurred. Ten months after treatment, residual scars were visible, and 1 year later, she attempted suicide. Since MS can resemble other diseases, it should be suspected in a mentally ill patient with chronic drug abuse, systemic nonspecific manifestations and dermatological abnormalities, including the head and neck region. Full article

The concept of planetary health blurs the artificial lines between health at scales of person, place, and planet. It emphasizes the interconnected grand challenges of our time, and underscores the need for integration of biological, psychological, social, and cultural aspects of health in the modern environment. Here, in our Viewpoint article, we revisit vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk’s contention that wisdom is central to the concept of planetary health. Our perspective is centered on the idea that practical wisdom is associated with decision-making that leads to flourishing—the vitality and fullest potential of individuals, communities, and life on the planet as a whole. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has illustrated the acute consequences of unwise and mindless leadership; yet, wisdom and mindfulness, or lack thereof, is no less consequential to grotesque biodiversity losses, climate change, environmental degradation, resource depletion, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, and social injustices. Since mindfulness is a teachable asset linked to both wisdom and flourishing, we argue that mindfulness deserves much greater attention in the context of planetary health. Full article

Planetary health is a broad multidisciplinary effort that attempts to address what has been described as “Anthropocene Syndrome”—the wicked, interrelated challenges of our time. These include, but are not limited to, grotesque biodiversity losses, climate change, environmental degradation, resource depletion, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, social injustices, erosion of wisdom and civility, together with the many structural underpinnings of these grand challenges. The ultimate aim of planetary health is flourishing along every link in the person, place and planet continuum. The events of “2020” have illuminated the consequences of “mass trauma” and how sub-threshold anxiety and/or depressive symptoms erase the rigid lines between mental “health” and mental “disorders”, and unmasked the systemic forms of injustice, discrimination, and oppression that have too often escaped discourse. Here, we query the ways in which post-traumatic growth research might inform the larger planetary health community, especially in the context of a global pandemic, broadening socioeconomic inequalities, a worsening climate crisis, and the rise of political authoritarianism. The available research would suggest that “2020” fulfills the trauma criteria of having a “seismic impact on the assumptive world”, and as such, provides fertile ground for post-traumatic growth. Among the many potential positive changes that might occur in response to trauma, we focus on the value of new awareness, perspective and greater wisdom. Full article

The revolutionary evolution in science and technology over the last few decades has made it possible to face more adequately three main challenges of modern medicine: changes in old diseases, the appearance of new diseases, and diseases that are unknown (mostly genetic), despite research efforts. In this paper we review the road travelled by pathologists in search of a method based upon the use of routine instruments and techniques which once were available for research only. The application to tissue studies of techniques from immunology, molecular biology, and genetics has allowed dynamic interpretations of biological phenomena with special regard to gene regulation and expression. That implies stepwise investigations, including light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, electron microscopy, molecular histopathology, protein crystallography, and gene sequencing, in order to progress from suggestive features detectable in routinely stained preparations to more characteristic, specific, and finally, pathognomonic features. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E)-stained preparations and appropriate immunohistochemical stains have enabled the recognition of phenotypic changes which may reflect genotypic alterations. That has been the case with hepatocytic inclusions detected in H&E-stained preparations, which appeared to correspond to secretory proteins that, due to genetic mutations, were retained within the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and were deficient in plasma. The identification of this phenomenon affecting the molecules alpha-1-antitrypsin and fibrinogen has led to the discovery of a new field of cell organelle pathology, endoplasmic reticulum storage disease(s) (ERSD). Over fifty years, pathologists have wandered through a dark forest of complicated molecules with strange conformations, and by detailed observations in simple histopathological sections, accompanied by a growing background of molecular techniques and revelations, have been able to recognize and identify arrays of grotesque polypeptide arrangements. Full article

The term “Anthropocene Syndrome” describes the wicked interrelated challenges of our time. These include, but are not limited to, unacceptable poverty (of both income and opportunity), grotesque biodiversity losses, climate change, environmental degradation, resource depletion, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, social injustices, the spread of ultra-processed foods, consumerism and incivility in tandem with a diminished emphasis on the greater potential of humankind, efforts toward unity, or the value of fulfilment and flourishing of all humankind. Planetary health is a concept that recognizes the interdependent vitality of all natural and anthropogenic ecosystems—social, political and otherwise; it blurs the artificial lines between health at scales of person, place and planet. Promoting planetary health requires addressing the underlying pathology of “Anthropocene Syndrome” and the deeper value systems and power dynamics that promote its various signs and symptoms. Here, we focus on misinformation as a toxin that maintains the syndromic status quo—rapid dissemination of falsehoods and dark conspiracies on social media, fake news, alternative facts and medical misinformation described by the World Health Organization as an “infodemic”. In the context of planetary health, we explore the historical antecedents of this “infodemic” and underscore an urgent need to remediate the misinformation mess. It is our contention that education (especially in early life) emphasizing mindfulness and understanding of the mechanisms by which propaganda is spread (and unhealthy products are marketed) is essential. We expand the discourse on positive social contagion and argue that empowerment through education can help lead to an information transformation with the aim of flourishing along every link in the person, place and planet continuum. Full article

This article focuses on Richard Ford’s short story “Calling,” collected in the volume entitled A Multitude of Sins (2001). It consists of the detailed recalling by a first-person narrator, from the vantage point of adulthood, of a duck-hunting outing with his father at a moment of acute family crisis when he was still a teenager. This episode, redolent of America’s nostalgic motif of male bonding and father-son transmission in the midst of mythical American nature, is shown to have proved a pathetic failure at the time, and the story stages—to pick up Svetlana Boym’s famous distinction between two main types of nostalgia—the enlightening “reflective” effects of recalling this moment of “restorative” longing for the protagonist. However, the highly analytical narrator does not consciously dwell upon the peripheral yet disturbing presence of two grotesque characters that, I contend, are the locus of the implicit meaning of the text. Through precise textual reading and references to Southern Gothic, I indeed argue that the subtext of “Calling” invites the reader to journey back into a region’s (the South’s) troubled collective past and to question its own relation to nostalgia. “Calling” thus also stages the ambivalence of nostalgic longing on the collective plane as it shows willful nostalgic recollection wavering in the face of the return of the historical repressed, that of America’s ineffable original sin. Full article

This article argues that Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, a AAA First-Person Shooter, is not only politically themed, but presents in itself a critical engagement with the politics of its genre and its player base. Developed at the height of #Gamergate, the game is interpreted as a response to reactionary discourses about gender and ability in both mainstream games and the hardcore gamer community. The New Colossus replaces affirmation of masculine empowerment with intersectional ambiguities, foregrounding discourses of feminism and disability. To provoke its players without completely alienating them, the game employs strategies of carnivalesque aesthetics—especially ambivalence and grotesque excess. Analyzing the game in the light of Bakhtinian theory shows how The New Colossus reappropriates genre conventions pertaining to able-bodiedness and masculinity and how it “resolves” these issue by grafting the player character’s head on a vat-grown Nazi supersoldier-body. The breaches of genre conventions on the narrative level are supported by intentionally awkward and punishing mechanics, resulting in a ludo-narrative aesthetic of defamiliarization commensurate to a grotesque story about subversion and revolt. Echoing the ritualistic cycle of death and rebirth at the heart of carnivalesque aesthetics, The New Colossus is nothing short of an ideological re-invention of the genre. Full article

This essay explains the modernist montage rhetoric of Nordahl Grieg’s 1935 drama Vår ære og vår makt in the context of the playwright’s interest in Soviet theater and his Communist sympathies. After considering the historical background for the play’s depiction of war profiteers in Bergen, Norway, during the First World War, the article analyzes Grieg’s use of a montage rhetoric consisting of grotesque juxtapositions and abrupt scenic shifts. Attention is also given to the play’s use of incongruous musical styles and its revolutionary political message. In the second part, the article discusses Grieg’s writings on Soviet theater from the mid-1930s. Grieg embraced innovative aspects of Soviet theater at a time when the greatest period of experimentation in post-revolutionary theater was already ending, and Socialist Realism was being imposed. The article briefly discusses Grieg’s controversial pro-Stalinist, anti-fascist position, before concluding that Vår ære og vår makt represents an important instance of Norwegian appropriation of international modernist and avant-garde theater. Full article