Hated by some and adored by many, John Waters has been making films since the 1960’s that unapologetically embrace both Americana (long before Americana became a vintage novelty) and the full spectrum of deviance in almost every realm imaginable: sexual, aesthetic, and even basically human. Born in suburban Baltimore in 1946, Waters is best known for his most notorious film, "Pink Flamingos," a taboo-exploding 1972 black comedy of filth, murder, and cannibalism in which the transvestite actress Divine famously eats dog feces. Working as an artist, Waters--who was long represented by the influe … (read more)

Hated by some and adored by many, John Waters has been making films since the 1960’s that unapologetically embrace both Americana (long before Americana became a vintage novelty) and the full spectrum of deviance in almost every realm imaginable: sexual, aesthetic, and even basically human. Born in suburban Baltimore in 1946, Waters is best known for his most notorious film, "Pink Flamingos," a taboo-exploding 1972 black comedy of filth, murder, and cannibalism in which the transvestite actress Divine famously eats dog feces. Working as an artist, Waters--who was long represented by the influential New York gallery American Fine Arts--has garnered much critical acclaim for his investigations into the themes broached by his films. As a result, his work may intentionally exist outside of the mainstream of “acceptable” behavior, or even outside of the art world’s traditional measure of tasteful representation. However, Waters is anything but a pariah. He is instead respected as a major influence on a generation of subsequent artists, as well as a taste-making contributor to well-respected art magazines and journals.

Watch a video of Waters' 2004 retrospective at the New Museum [Via Under the Pink Carpet]:

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