“The Appetite That Dare Not Be Appeased” is a work of art by Robert Williams, created in the year 1999. It is associated with the Lowbrow Art movement and can be classified within the figurative genre. The artwork presents a vivid visual narrative filled with intense colors and a dynamic composition that provokes thought and evokes emotional responses.
The artwork is a triptych of sorts, featuring three distinct but interrelated panels. The left panel depicts a female figure with an exaggerated, snarling expression, her hair ablaze, surrounded by ghostly apparitions of flames and hands. She appears aggressive and maybe seductive, enveloping the central character in the middle panel with her presence.
In the central panel, an older man, possibly an intellectual or an artist, is engrossed in a book titled “Mortal Hunger.” His eccentric appearance, characterized by large spectacles and a top hat with a question mark motif, suggests a sense of whimsy or eccentricity. The man appears oblivious to the chaos around him, deeply immersed in his reading, which may symbolize a search for knowledge or escape into the imagination.
On the right panel, one encounters a grotesque, gaping maw framed within the word “SEXISM,” which hints at a satirical or critical commentary on societal issues. This mouth, adorned with multiple sets of teeth and a lolling tongue, creates an overpowering sense of consumption or gluttony.
The juxtaposition of the three elements—the enflamed and potentially alluring or damning woman, the absorbed, possibly contemplative man, and the devouring mouth speaking to societal vices—suggests a complex and multilayered critique of human desires, vices, and the often obsessive nature of the pursuit of pleasure or knowledge. The intricate detailing, combined with the surreal and exaggerated elements, is consistent with the Lowbrow Art movement’s tendency to blur the boundaries between high art and popular culture, often imbued with a sense of irony or social critique.
