Most Evil II by Steve Hodel

Author:Steve Hodel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rare Bird Books
Published: 2015-09-10T01:43:24+00:00

Fig. 10.16

It is my belief that in October of 1968, my father, while conducting one of his numerous business trips to his New York office, attended the Dwan Art Gallery “Earthworks” exhibition and was inspired.

He then formulated a plan to continue his earlier version of “Murder as a Fine Art,” (the 1947 posing of victim Elizabeth “Black Dahlia” Short in imitation of several well-known artworks by his close friend, surrealist Man Ray). However, this time he would use multiple murder victims to “map out” a larger canvas on a much grander scale.

Then, just ten weeks after visiting the Earthworks exhibit, on his return trip to Manila, making his usual stop in San Francisco, he created the first brush strokes of his land map, by lying in wait at his preselected coordinates (the north leg of his radian) until the victims (any victims) moved into place.

Sadly, on December 20, 1968, this happened to be two teenagers, Betty Jensen and David Faraday, out on their “first date,” who had decided to park in a lover’s lane just off Lake Herman Road, near Vallejo.

Young Betty and David would be the first two victims of George Hodel’s Land Art, which would require another year and five more “positionings” before it could be considered a “finished work.”

As referenced earlier in this chapter, it is my further belief that George Hodel, in October of 1970, walked down the street and around the corner from his INRA office, this time deciding to visit the Betty Parsons Gallery, where he was again inspired by a new piece of modern art.

Three weeks later, on his usual layover in San Francisco, rather than killing another victim he decided to send another message. A “You’re aching to know my name” Halloween greeting to his “Secret Pal,” San Francisco Chronicle newspaper reporter Paul Avery.

A new Zodiac taunt. But, in addition to signing with his now infamous cross-and-circle, he would add a unique and most daring touch.

This time, George as Zodiac decided to follow in the footsteps of his good friend and Dadaist guru Man Ray, who, for thirty-five years and counting, had concealed his own signature and name from the public by using a penlight to hide it in swirls and loops in his self-portrait Space Writings (1935).37

Inspired by his recent visit to Brian O’Doherty’s exhibit at the Dwan Gallery, he would sign his Halloween card with a mysterious symbol, knowing it and he were “crack proof.”

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