The mohawk-sporting figure of Diesel-Only—once the face of Diesel’s ‘Only the Brave’ campaign— is not only reminiscent of other lone rebel characters elsewhere in cultural history but also carries the lasting marks of a colonialist heritage. As a fictive entity, Diesel’s essence is malleable, allowing him to transcend the constraints of a singular narrative. Yet throughout the 34 drawings seen here he also consistently serves as a prompt for self-examination. Diesel-Only emerges in these scenes as a vessel through which we are invited to consider the lingering specters of appropriation—whether of narratives, land or otherwise—within a culture that is constantly consuming its own rebellious icons, hollowing them out into archetypes. Each portrayal of Diesel-Only is a deliberate provocation that challenges us to unravel layers of historical amnesia and confront the logic currently shaping our psyches and expressions.
In each tableau, Diesel-Only cuts a distinct figure. Like an inkblot in water, he spreads out gently, his presence bleeding slowly into the clear depths, awakening introspective thoughts. His identity remains an enigma throughout; is he a god or is he the devil? Perhaps he is both. He manifests his humanity through his distinct mohawk and the expressiveness of his hands—anxious, restless, they are the external expression of a nervous system that feels deeply. In his grasp, he embodies the duality of ego and vulnerability, the weight of doubts and memories. His presence is made more tangible in this way, and it reminds us of our own efforts to confront our vulnerabilities. We see mirrored in Diesel-Only our own vanity, the conceit of those moments when, for a split second, we think we have managed to pin our failings down.
Like fuel in a motor, Diesel-Only powers a never-ending search—perhaps it’s the search for a sense of spirit in a world that has largely forgotten about such things. As the world becomes more secular, indifferent to not only spirituality but also art, language, and politics, Diesel’s struggles come to resonate with a widespread concern: everyone lacks something in their life; the lack is their life. And if we feel driven to confront our shortcomings and ultimately to embrace them, perhaps Diesel-Only can help us get there.
Edith Stein speaks of the spiritual person, the lone self within us that is the soul. This part of our self responds like an engine with feelings, transcending the physical being that appears to contain it and be ‘driving’ it. This ‘spirit’ is always there, a constant in our consciousness, like an afterthought, shaping our interactions with and empathy for the world. The gently bleeding inkblot is an allegory; the soul, a lingering specter; and Diesel-Only, the solitary figure at the crossroads of this realization. But Diesel-Only’s realization—which is also our own—is that we are meant to settle for life in one way or another. Perhaps having an audience gives Diesel-Only the false impression that there is something bigger than him, —something or someone who knows more—but like him we must live in the tension between significance and insignificance.
–– Gianmaria Andreetta