Iconographic difficulty of nihilism

[death metal black metal]

I can't help but be jealous of groups like anarchists, Christians and neo-Nazis. They have interesting if not outright beautiful iconography.

What does nihilism have? We're generally anti-symbol and anti-decoration as it is, so... a black box? An empty page? A starfield of infinite duration? A corpse? A sodomized corpse?

I want cool iconography too. I just don't trust anyone else's.

[Dinaric Leather]

By iconography do you mean only visual arts? Because much of Extreme Metal can be considered nihilist art. There is also the visual artwork associated with it, for example album art. I am particularly fond of the art of The Number of The Beast, which can be interpreted as nihilistic.

[aquarius]

I can't help but be jealous of groups like anarchists, Christians and neo-Nazis. They have interesting if not outright beautiful iconography.

What does nihilism have? We're generally anti-symbol and anti-decoration as it is, so... a black box? An empty page? A starfield of infinite duration? A corpse? A sodomized corpse?

I want cool iconography too. I just don't trust anyone else's.

Nihilism could encompass any form of symbolism and yet not be bound to it. It cannot even be bound to it's own definition. That's why it eludes most people. A genre that can be found in all genres (but for the most part is not).

[NHA]

What is ape to man?

[03-04]

Something about this picture always struck me as very nihilistic:



Wellknown symbols, recombined to produce an... unexpected effect. What does it mean?

(I saw it first on a youtube-video for an Ildjarn-track).

[Wild]

Degenerate desecration of sacred symbols.

[03-04]

I think it's more than that.

We all know the classic Jesus on the cross mirroring the 'I welcome you into my arms'-posture in his suffering.

But this Jesus looks more like he is dancing - in some strange, twisted way.

The sunwheel is closer to nature than the cross, which is a very human symbol (a torturedevice). There is greater movement in the swastika - it always reminded me of the cycle of the seasons.

Also, the sinister vibe of evil, thanks to nazis. And the tranquility of the Buddah.

But maybe it's just me.

[Wild]

Looks like a Soviet mockery.

Also, the sinister vibe of evil, thanks to nazis.

You consider the nazis to be evil?

[03-04]

No, not really. But there is no doubt, that the legacy they left was one of evil, meaning: The popular conception of nazism is synonomous with that of evil on an almost metaphysical level.

There are many people who cannot look at a swastika without getting upset.

If you want me to put it in more neutral terms, I suppose I could say: The swastika has a sinister vibe of subconcious masshysteria. Like the times we are living in now.

And a twisted Jesus is dancing on top of it all: That could be humanism. A twisted view of man.

Even if it is a mockery, it still communicates on a number of levels.

[NHA]

Degenerate desecration of sacred symbols.

Blasphemy is easily compatible with nihilism.

[Wild]

Degenerate desecration of sacred symbols.

Blasphemy is easily compatible with nihilism.

Doesn't mean it should be supported.

[Wild]

Nihilism:

[lost_wanderer]

Degenerate desecration of sacred symbols.

Blasphemy is easily compatible with nihilism.

Doesn't mean it should be supported.

why not?

symbols are not real life after all. I have more respect for a tree than for the representation of Jesus as a symbol.

[scourge]

Insignia serve to distinguish between entities that collectively compose a given class. They may also identify an entity with the class it belongs to.

While there are various icons of political philosophy like the swastika, the hammer and sickle, the circle A for anarchism, and the cheeseburger for liberal democratic capitalism, there aren't any for more generalized philosophies like nihilism or existentialism.

It might not be wise to identify nihilism with a symbol, thereby implying its limitation as political philosophy within a set of competing icons. Is nihilism an equal among democracy, libertarianism, monarchism?

As an alternative, a political theory derived from nihilism could have its own anthropocentric iconographic association without adulterating the scope and gravity of its cosmic, eternal parent theory.

[death metal black metal]

What would we call a political theory derived from nihilism?

Dystopianism?

The Crimson Party?

Tooth and nail?