That's kind of how I feel about it...funny, anyway.

I do not understand why it would seem at all bizarre that individuals indeed do, have radical emotional and thus, physical reactions to certain stimulus, especially in this case - sight. Out of my personal experience I am made very uncomfortable by many forms of what would be considered, 'modern art'. I enjoy the Romantics and Classics yet boarding someone up in a room full of Monet, and Van Gogh would probably allow for a modest reaction, if any, to occur - and one would probably assume that this reaction would be calming. Contrary to this, throwing someone in a room full of images of death and decadence would clearly produce a different effect...

I guess what I'm trying to say is... Isn't all of this rather obvious?

This was posted mostly for entertainment's sake. but if you would like to start a discussion, that's cool as well. I agree, it is not far fetched as to the reason why the cells are torture cells. I am still musing over the style. Seems to me an aweful lot of work to accomplish something that has been done effectlivly with much less pinache for eons.

Well, combine uncomfortable aesthetics with a nice handful of other torture methods and you've got yourself quite the equation for insanity. Its like pouring salt in the open wounds of a gash opened by whip.

Effective.. yes
Necessary.. I'd still say so


-Alexander Eliot

You would say it is necessary to stylize a torture method? Why is that? You think a Kubrik sort of dungeon would be more effective than the standard atark/dank?

I guess they both have their uses. Stark and dank makes one feel forgotten, the other makes one feel who knows.

I would think bright light + white noise would be as effective (sleep deprivation/stress).

Actually white noise has been known to be used on prisoners of war via the radio resulting in high levels of stress.

"You would say it is necessary to stylize a torture method? Why is that? You think a Kubrik sort of dungeon would be more effective than the standard atark/dank?"

I hate to be advocating any type of torture yet I do feel that mental collapse, the real idea of torture, comes around much more quickly when one is completely surrounded by elements they find well... confusing (off shades, bizarre patterns, etc)

Combined with the pure element of regulated torture (those things we're only told about), I feel as though any secondary aesthetic abuse would catalyze the effects, rather quickly in fact.

But then again it surely has to involve the individual - I happen to like the chaotically surreal.

Maybe we should advise Guantanamo about our conversation.

I second that,

Well actually, are we really going to start talking about whether or not we support torture here?

I think that would be counter productive to the intent of the post. The post was about how art can be used as torture not an ethical debate about torture. But hey I've hijacked more than a few threads in my time, so feel free.