It’s facile to equate appearance with evil

Douglas Gordon’s self-portrait, Monster. ‘Jones evidently assumes that it is the “distorted” face that indicates monstrous evil. I see a face possibly affected by disease or injury,’ writes Angela Shaw. Photograph: Adagp, Paris

In his review of the Edinburgh arts festival (The macabre masterpieces that Scottish artists do best, 3 August), Jonathan Jones refers to Douglas Gordon’s self-portrait, Monster, which shows the artist’s face alongside the same face distorted by pieces of Sellotape. Jones evidently assumes that it is the “distorted” face that indicates monstrous evil. I see a face possibly affected by disease or injury. This facile and prejudicial correlation between inner and outer beauty and goodness is deplorable. Ironically, in the article above (Life term for killer who posed as a good Samaritan) is a photo of a man truly capable of monstrous evil – the killer of India Chipchase. You wouldn’t look at him twice on the street.
Angela Shaw
Bristol

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