JAMES KAUM

Artist

Fearism and Art by James Kaum

Fearism states that human behaviour is mostly motivated by the fear of death. Fear is a basic emotion. This emotion is both motivational and evolutionary.

It has been used in religions, cultures and societies throughout our history as a control mechanism. It has been suggested that culture provides meaning, organisation, and a coherent worldview that diminishes the psychological fear caused by the knowledge of eventual death. This explains human activity both at the individual and social level. Fear of absolute annihilation creates such profound - albeit subconscious - anxiety in people (called cognitive dissonance) that they spend their lives attempting to make sense of it.

This trying to make sense explains all of our historic climaxes by individuals, which were trying to live eternally through their actions and creations. Fear of death is the central force in evolution as we know it. Without fear there wouldn’t be any creativity. Fear motivates us to produce in order to overcome death and to live eternally.

Death series

These art pieces are built of explosives. They represent beauty which by closer inspection reveals its deathly content.