Bozo Fucks Death
(nail polish and white out on tip tray)
Excerpted from: Jerome After the Pageant
7 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 1/2 in., 1988

Provocative Material

Jerome's art is unapologetic, raw, sexual, humorous, and honest. Straightforward depictions of cross dressing, nudity, lovemaking, and gruesome violence were not taboo for Jerome. These themes become powerful subconscious storytelling tools. His humor and his insight into human nature elevate his work above pornography or blasphemy.

Educational Experience

The film's goal is to educate, not alienate. Perspectives from art historians reframe the controversial aspects of Jerome's work and shed light on its hidden universality. The film juxtaposes Jerome's art against a rich landscape of traditional painting (e.g., Hieronymus Bosch, the Brueghels, Goya, El Greco, and Egon Schiele). Biographical narratives from Jerome's family, friends, collectors, curators, and queer contemporaries compliment the discussion of his art. On a visceral level, the film offers more of a tangible, accessible, emotional interpretation than a theoretical art critique. It's like sitting down at your kitchen table and having a heart-to-heart with a loved one.
JEROME CAJA: Charles Devouring Himself
(ash, resin, and nail polish on aluminum tray)
Excerpted from: Jerome After the Pageant
8 1/2 in. diameter x 1 in. deep, 1991
FRANCISCO GOYA: Saturn Devouring His Son
(oil mural transferred to canvas)
143cm x 81cm. 1819–1823
Museo del Prado, Madrid
Jerome's "Passion of Christ" Art Installation
(Club Screw on Good Friday in San Francisco)
Excerpted from: Flicker by Overdork
Early 1990's
Polaroids of Jerome's "Passion of Christ"
(Club Screw on Good Friday in San Francisco)
Donated by: Derek Boyle
Early 1990's