"I learned more from Donald Duck than from all the schools I ever attended." Gottfried Helnwein

Gottfried Helnwein's art has moved me in many ways since I've started studying his work during high school and college.
It's beautifully dark in a disturbing way that moves my soul. Most of his work evolves around children :hurt, bleeding, immobilized, modified.
He's a painter, sculptor, photographer and performance artist and he also costume designs for theater.
I am not sure how well known he is in the US but he sure is in Europe, and his work has been shown in galleries world wide since the early 80's.





I especially love his self portraits. The black and white photograph is titled "Self Portrait with Smiling Aid"
I can relate.