JS: "Jiz Lee said of "Body to Job" that it "abandons its nonfiction form for one of an existentialist journey that blurs the line between porn and reality." To me, the book seems to take a surreal turn when you begin talking about ART on page 146. Dream-like art is thought to be surrealist. Do you consider your work to be psychic, surreal or magical?"
CZ: "In my work, I often fixate on the mundanity of my professional life. I express longing for something outside of it.
I like the idea that art and magick hold some answers to what I'm looking for. Yet, there's some friction in my pursuit of such things. I'm interested in the consumption of work, but I find most artists unbearable to be around. And most people I meet, who claim an interest in magick, turn out to be impoverished fantasists.
I sometimes attempt research into obscure art movements and the occult, but my laziness gets in the way. I never make it far enough to commit to understanding.
So, my work is only magical or psychic, or whatever, in regards to feeling frustrated by my ignorance. "
JS: "Also, I feel compelled to mention your references to body fluids. Body fluids, as you know, are sometimes censored in a confusing way. Cum is almost never acknowledged outside of porn except in a metaphysical context. Do you think that Magick is still relevant as an artistic touchstone or is it just an old superstition in the technological age?
CZ: "Are body fluids censored? Of course, they're prevalent in porn. I'm trying to think of examples outside of XXX content. There's the infamous Andres Serrano piece, Piss Christ. More recently, my girlfriend did a photo series called FLUID: macro shots of my cum, our blood and saliva, and her vaginal fluid. It was featured on VICE. So, there's at least one example of a corporate-sanctioned art piece on the subject of body fluids.
You're probably right that it's not prevalent.
As for your question about magick: I don't know. I think of magick as having to do with occulted knowledge. I feel like it exists; that it's still relevant. Though, perhaps I'd only take it seriously if it were obscured from my view."