*GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING*

I've been mulling over whether to post this (not to mention HOW to post this) for nearly the past week, and it's certainly not something that sits easily with me due to the very nature of it's subject matter. But, for those that care, (and those with strong stomachs) and to hopefully provoke some sensible discourse, here it is - warts n all. I've attempted to write up all relevant information about the case etc I could find, if you want to read more, I have included links to further reading below also.
























Is killing a defenceless, innocent animal art?

One late night in 2001, a freshman art student from Toronto named Jesse Powers came up with an idea for an art project with a twist. He and his friends worked out their agenda, and one evening a few days later, they set up a video camera in his appartment in Kensington house, and went out looking for a cat. It wasn't hard to locate one. Hungry and cold, the cat made friends quickly.

What happened next staggers any normal logical thinking, and frankly, defies belief, showing the abusers/tormentors as nothing more than base individuals.

For 17 minutes, the tape rolled as they mercilessly tormented, and tortured an innocent gentle, striped female cat. She was then strung up by her neck, and as she struggled desperately to break free, the unlucky cat was punched, burnt with cigarettes, gutted and then beheaded. She was later found skinned, in Jesse Powers beer fridge. The 'art piece' was never completed, as Police were tipped off by someone in the appartment complex I believe from the reports I've read - his final intention being to eat the cat's remains on film.

Powers went on the run, evading police capture for nearly two years before they caught up with him. "It was art", Power protested to police. "It got gory" because he and his pals were "disorganized" and one of them had given him "a dull razor". Not to mention that they were all high on drugs. Besides, he said, "everything takes a long time to die, no matter what it is."

His punishment? He got just 90 days...on weekends too - so he could complete his Art course at college. He blames the papers, and society, and the young woman who called the cops (in hopes of a reward, claims Jesse).

A documentary on the killing and the abusers (entitled: 'Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat') caused a furore at the Toronto Film Festival when it was screened recently. Although none of the infamous 'Kensington tape' is shown (the film makers could not obtain it from Police officials) court transcripts are shown and read out, and the abusers interviewed show no remorse whatsoever for their actions still sticking to their lines of being 'misunderstood' and it being an 'art piece'.

Power's claims his "art video" was to simply (?!) show the "hypocrisy" of pets in a world of abattoirs. And, step right up, step right up folks - see Jesse Power bash a chicken's head with a hammer before attempting (three times) to chop off its head. See him cuddle a rotting pig, play puppet with a baby orangutan's corpse....

A Toronto detective said the 17-minute videotape was the most difficult thing he has ever watched.

"After a couple of minutes, I was actually rooting for the cat to die to avoid the cruelties being inflicted upon it," said Det. Gordon Scott.

So, we come back around to the orginal question:

...IS killing a defenceless, innocent animal art?

My personal opinon? IS IT FUCK. This was nothing more than an obscene, reprehensible, evil, premeditated act of unimaginable cruelty.

I find these people morally bankrupt individuals who have shown just how low and reprhensible they are by trying to condone their torture through deluded rationalisation. That they got off so lightly stuns frankly, showing Canada's animal abuse laws to be increadibly outdated.

Jesse Powers was recently charged with theft.

His parents must be so proud.

Im exhausted, I've run out of adjectives to use.

Over to you...

your 1st port of call

Google Results:
Google results on the film etc

In Defense of Animals:
idausa.org


[Edited 12/1/04 14:11pm]

I feel sick.

I don't know what else to say.

no words either

ok, i don't say this often, so get out the polaroids:

I'M OFFENDED BY THIS.

i don't believe in censorship, but when the "message" is torturing another living being for the sake of doing it and calling it "art", then i don't consider it censorship at all.

how horrible

cruelty like that should be more severly punished

evil beyond words can express as far as I'm concerned

Anxiety said:

me too.

Art shouldn't be used to justify disgusting behaviour. It's not a case of censorship but of knowing what's right or wrong.

My opinion is that whenever your actions, whatever they be, cause harm to another sentient being, you are responsible. Trying to justify sadistic behaviour like this by calling it art is cowardice of the highest order.

Sick, sick, sick.

I despair of this world sometimes

Anxiety said:

Emphatic co-sign to every single word.

Some artists use dead animals (even dead people) in their work. Damien Hirst and Joel Peter Witkin come to mind.

However, many of these artists use corpses of living creatures that passed away naturally.

Torturing animals shouldn't be excused for the sake of art. There's millions of ways to say something, and this artist should find another one. Some people really abuse the concept of "artistic license".

This is one of many instances where animals are tortured, including product testing, chicken coups, etc... So I think its also important to consider it as part of a bigger picture, before we go slamming the arts.

Reincarnate said:

Tom said:

Exactly, there is no excuse for torture. Just vile, vile, vile. It really turns my stomach. I just felt 'Kensington's' story deserved to be told here.

Just like to point out folks, that the links I've provided are (to my knowledge) no worse than anything on this thread u have read so far, just so you know.

Tom said:

good point, and i don't think this is a situation where the arts should be dismissed or ridiculed for pretention. it's not a matter of sensibilities, it's a matter of morals and ethics. it's gone beyond blurring the lines of what is art and what isn't art - it's just plain pathological.

irresistibleb1tch said:

Once again I agree with everything you've written.

From an animal rights perspective what can we do? I know we can't stop violent perverts like this being born (or can we at least strive to stop them being "made") but should we strive for stricter sentences for cases of animal cruelty, and will that work?

I don't think I'll make it to the links, Banana ... I'm not that strong .. the story in itself has upset me enough.

I was clicking through the links on Google, and on the first few pages I've visited so far, none of them seem to have the actual cat torturing video, but rather, mention the documentary instead, which supposedly is just interviews with the artists and such.

Mind you, I just skimmed over all of this, so I probabbly missed it somewhere.

But I never heard a mention of this cat torturing video before, and the reviews mentioned it happened a coupld years ago. Is it possible, this film is a work of fiction? A "what if" scenario?

mg, that story is horrible... I won't bother clicking on the links, I don't need the visuals for my heart and soul to be effected..*sigh*...

From what I could see, I don't think anyone is slamming the arts because of this videotaped vileness, because nobody sees it as art...I think we all see it as horrendous cruelty and nothing more. Filming it doesn't turn it into art....and creating art doesn't make all actions suddenly turn legal. Animal cruelty, especially the type of this nature, is illegal (at least here in the U.S.)...that this idiot only got 90 days--and not even 90 consecutive days--is a travesty. Horrific animal cruelty within the confines of the food industry is vile enough...going beyond that into cruelty performed for no other reason than to cause pain, suffering and death for enjoyment is too much for my mind to comprehend.

Reincarnate said:

i have thoroughly enjoyed your comments, too, Reincarnate.

as to your question what we can do... awareness would rank at the very top there, i'd think. being a firm believer in cause and effect, i believe we need to make sure that each generation has more and more information at their disposal to raise the next generation in a more compassionate and aware fashion. sadly, i don't think i'll be around to see a general, overwhelming sense of compassion toward animals, but every step toward that is worth all of the hassle, ridicule and downright hostile opposition we face in the animal rights and animal welfare movements.

i agree with Tom that this is only one part of overall level of disregard for other sentient beings. personal product testing, redundant clinical testing, entertainment, factory farming, leather and fur - these are all things we can easily reduce by making very simple changes in our own lives. and once there's enough awareness on those issues, i can't imagine people WANTING to commit such horrific crimes.

it's overwhelming, to say the least, but it helps to be an idealist!

Tom said:

No it exists Tom - it's in Police hands. Didn't someone come up with something similar about Nick Berg a few months ago if I remember correctly? I briefly mentioned the film as I wished to concentrate on the reason the film exists in the first place.

bananacologne said:

Tom said:

How would that be possible, if it was seen by so many people at the Toronto Film Festival?

Byron said:

I understand Byron, but (2 my knowledge) that video is not in the public domain, and I clicked on many of those same links researchign this thread - there is only one photo of Kensington, and that is the poster above.

I think IF u so wished to find out more, you could safely navigate those sites without viewing any graphic visual content. Even the documentary does not carry footage of the killing.

If anyone here is moved enough to wish to even make the smallest of gestures, please can I direct them to the first website link, where there is more specific information on the group protesting the film, and where you can also donate any amount you so wish via their PayPal button to help them with legal fees etc.

there's an american artist named joe coleman who does much the same kind of shit, only with mice. the frustrating thing is, i've never seen him take an ounce of heat for it.

FunkMistress said:

The documentary mentioned does not carry ANY of the Kensington footage. it focuses on the individuals, their (supposed) reasonings, a shocked and reviled community and the trial etc.

bananacologne said:

Oh, ok...thanks for giving some clarity on that...I couldn't bring myself to click on them.

the only thing i can think of that brings me any kind of solace from reading about shit like this is that i can always pray/meditate and send out whatever energy i am able to hope for some kind of rest for any soul that's had to endure such senseless torture and horror. it doesn't matter if that soul is human or non-human, living or passed.

Anxiety said:

From the accounts I have read however ( ) the documentary opens up with footage from a 1980 performance art flick, in which two cats are disembowelled and worn as hats. Istvan Kantor filmed that little gem, and get this - he has since won a Governor General's Award.

How the f*ck does THAT work?

I am glad i didn't see anything.. Just reading some of what was written has made me sick.. It really distursb me how fucking sick people can be in this world.. No morals, no values, no HEART.. for innocent, defensiveless animals...

I would love to get my hands around an animal abuser!!! and have a bat behind my back!!

Anxiety said:

I tend to go by the philosophy and belief that events occur within our history which help to further evolve our collective human consciousness...perhaps this will be one of those literally infinite number of moments which serve to do just that.
[Edited 12/1/04 11:24am]

Anxiety said:

i guess when i hear about stuff like this, my feelings usually go more toward wanting to know that the victims are in a better place than they were when they were victimized, moreso than expending a lot of hostile energy on the people who were the abusers. i just want them dealt with, fairly and properly. i don't invest as much emotion into retribution as i do into wanting living things to not suffer...if that makes any sense. which makes stories like this so frustrating - it just reminds me that it's a big world full of a lot of people who will do a lot of horrible things, and nobody can keep it all from happening, so...?

this is absolutely disgusting. i knew I shouldn't have clicked on this thread at work....