Welcome to Burn as One. Simply put, my intent is to highlight artists from various fields who are either smokers, or who use imagery of smoking in their art… or both (preferably).


Let me jump right into this one, because I believe I’ve found the hinge where non-smokers and smokers have come to disagreement, and it lies with death. It’s in all the anti-smoking propaganda, the basis of it being the message “smoking kills”. But that’s pretty much a fact these days, and those behind the anti-smoking movement seem to be dumbfounded that people are still smoking. Smokers know it kills. In fact, studies show that they overstate the risks to themselves by smoking. Death is the hinge, at least if I’m right. Smokers love the image of death, embracing it. Embracing death makes life more “full”. We are re-appropriating the quantity of our life–our longevity–to increase its quality. It’s a choice, and we’ve made it. I think it is that sacrifice… . the severing of years and years of life from the end of it to increase the quality of our current life… that causes nonsmokers to recoil. They approach death in a different way. Possibly some of them dream of some life of immortality, but the thought of sacrificing any life at all is anathema to them.

So there is my theory. I keep on coming across anti-smoking propaganda and my first reaction is “that is awesome”, only to find out that it was suppose to be a bad thing. Whoops. Well, win for everyone. Now if only there wasn’t a war to fight over all these insane laws.

I’ve been living under prohibition since September 22nd of 2009. I accept responsibility for not acting sooner, and I fully realize that the likeliness of me being able to ever legally purchase a clove cigarette on American soil again is almost zero. What I may be able to play a part in, however, is slowing the tide. If I don’t act now, it is only a matter of time before even private citizens cannot show smoking in a positive light. If people do act, however, this threat may be averted.

The facts: Smoking kills, and smokers are cool. Smoking is disgusting and sexy as all hell. A sixth of the humans on this planet smoke, and the anti-smoking movement has been around almost as long as the ritual of smoking passed from the natives of America to the rest of us amongst the human tribe.





Much love,

~Kantiki Jayamana Whateva

About the banner…

Model & MUA: Jonathan Conine
Photography: ><(((*> Tricky Fish Photography
Shot Assist: Kyrie
Editing: Kantiki Jayamana Whateva
Additional Textures: ObsidianDawn dot Com