Breathe Deep (2012)

Ever wondered how to crystallize the body of a cat? Here M.M. Serra's dark and ethereal exploration of counterculture and body manipulation extends to the animal kingdom. Artist Katherine Bauer recites her recipe for Crystallum, her playfully witchy process of growing crystals on the carcass of her deceased feline friend, Pickles. Bauer also quotes "The Torture Garden," the 19th Century French novel by Octave Mirbeau, accompanied by the dirge of heavy rock music. Serra's passion for finding cinematic beauty in the absurd and humor in provocation make her work charming, singular and visceral.