Who knew a Juggalo gathering could be so … beautiful?
Chicago-based artist Derek Erdman went to the 2009 Gatheringof the Juggalos in Cave-In-Rock, IL, in early August and got some amazing shots. More than amazing, actually. Arresting best describes the affective power of his online photo essay, which I scrolled through yesterday and almost didn’t want to end.
And that wasn’t for any of the reasons you’d think. Sure, Juggalos are associated with various forms of extreme behavior, including but not restricted to wearing clown makeup, drinking Faygo and worshipping the Insane Clown Posse. While, Erdman (who, as far as I know, is not a Juggalo) got plenty of the hallmarks of Juggalism in his photos, there’s something about his work that’s so human, so solidarity-inducing, that it’s impossible to ridicule his subjects.
Equally enganging — albeit for more journalistic reasons — is Erdman’s 7-minute short doc on the Gathering, titled Dark Carnival of Souls. As with his photography, Erdman approaches the task of filmmaking with an empathy that is refreshing.
