Nir Hod's 'Genius': Behind The Mind's Eye Of Modern Entitled Children

“Genius,” an exhibit by Israeli artist Nir Hod, showcases pouty, fat-cheeked little boys and girls, glaring with precocious insolence, their stubby little fingers dangling cigarettes. Dressed in elegant outfits with grandiose, outlandish hairdos, the glamour and faux sophistication perhaps hint at how many parents of today treat their children: as miniature grown-ups, so coddled and overprotected that their innate innocence is lost. At least that's my perception.

The images are undoubtedly creepy and off-putting... but then so are many of today's parenting practices. I wonder if the fact that kids are no longer allowed to scrape their knees, run without overt supervision, make mistakes so that they learn good from bad, or play with toys to develop their imaginations instead of an xbox or a tirade of texting—ultimately fosters a generation of entitled, narcissistic little demons who, by the time they reach puberty, truly resemble these gruesome images.

Unfortunately, "Genius" closed last week at New York’s Paul Kasmin Gallery. Nir Hod was born in Tel Aviv in 1970 and received his BFA from the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. He lives and works in New York. Hopefully, he will return with more interpretations of the modern human condition. 

Previous works by Hod...