Joy as the affirmation of life in Monster Chetwynd's eclecticism

In this study, the art and artistic identity of Monster Chetwynd, a contemporary British artist, were evaluated within the scope of the problem of joy as the affirmation of life. The artist's art practices, works produced using different pseudonyms, and changes and developments demonstrated in her twenty-year career were examined. The artist's approach to ecopolitics and social policies, which criticizes current policies "without being overtly political," was evaluated. Philosophers who she based her philosophical discourse on, which relies on the healing and transformative power of art using the phenomenon of joy in a chaotic environment, were researched. The use of the phenomenon of joy in Spinoza, Nietzsche, and Bergson was examined. Production techniques for the works of the artist, previously known as Spartacus and Marvin Gaye and now as Monster, were determined. It was observed that she impatiently produces works using the bricolage technique from everyday materials and sustainable materials. The effort of working as a philosopher artist and transforming life by affirming it with joy was evaluated through the metaphor of the monster and the concept of social sculpture. It was observed that by using the production methods of contemporary art, the artist skillfully puts together all the elements that make up culture from antiquity to the present day in her works, and patches together iconic works of history with the skill of a tailor, and puts them back into production. The thesis "If we can't say stop the world, then let's all make the world a livable place together" was emphasized. The artist's efforts to create a guiding and transformative art form by weaving her works with contemporary art and philosophy, starting from the punk culture, pop culture, and D.I.Y. culture of the 1980s, were evaluated. It was observed that the artist was nourished by relational art in her works. The method of directing and changing the flow of live activities, which she briefly pre-planned and invited participants and viewers to her theatrical performances at the same time, was examined. It was observed that she was inspired by the tradition of potlatch and could continuously transport the phenomenon of joy in a constant flow from one place to another by curating theatrical matinee performances that contain absurd and grotesque elements.