Shaye Saint John burst onto the YouTube scene in 2006, with short works, usually 3-5 minutes, of absurd and bizarre beauty that achieved both epic horror status and outright original comedic genius. Shaye got a relatively large following, most likely they didn’t know what the hell to think of her or him or it. Indican Pictures created and released a DVD in 2004. Apparently a few festivals and curators had shown the work, but as usual, most of the experimental curators were asleep at the wheel, having blindly passed up Shaye Saint John’s incredible work.

Shaye’s character consisted of other worldly, almost strange qualities; Speaking in a strange alien voice and looking like something between a crippled victim with multiple amputations and a severely botched plastic surgery patient (a gritty backstory had spread of Shaye being a former model in a horrific car accident who was severely disfigured). Shaye shot whatever the conditions, grooming herself like some kind of star with entrepreneurial ventures like skin-tape shoots and drip diets. Her epic catchphrases (“OMG! Gams! Twenty-four seven!”) were delivered in a way that was all Shaye; a language of her own, existing in a world of her own with her sometimes buddy Kiki and (imaginary?) friends she joked with on the phone.

It seemed that Shaye’s action was taking place in Los Angeles, as indicated by Shaye’s early street performances in a wheelchair and taking pictures with tourists in Hollywood. The LA scene was fitting, but really it could have been anywhere, the US, as we see starlet transgressions exist all over the country; the allure of making it, dieting to look like celebrities, and ultimately becoming that starlet or starlet in some way. A deep-rooted American dream that draws charm from every crevice in the country.

A legend in his own mind seemed to be Shaye. But Shaye’s legend was cemented electronically and across the globe through the digital landscape, as evidenced by not only the online views, but also the strong reactions, outright mix-ups, and high support garnered; Shaye was indeed the real deal.

Actually, the real deal was Eric Fournier. He was the creator of Shaye Saint John. Exact details are unclear; Was he the one behind the strange mannequin mask? Was he the accelerated voice from another world? Since many of Shaye’s pieces seem to have a “moving camera,” perhaps Eric was behind the lens, directing all the action and providing dialogue. We only know about Eric because of the “directory” credit he left on the DVD. It was assumed that he played Shaye, but it was never confirmed to my knowledge.

Sadly, Eric passed away earlier this year at the end of February. There are some old producer credits on his IMBD page, and some notoriety associated with him being in a well-known punk band during the ’80s called The Blood Farmers. Other than that, little has emerged as of this writing and searching online for this writer.

YouTube accounts don’t automatically die when the physical body stops working, so Shaye continues to live in the electronic landscape, getting more and more views every day. On Shaye’s YouTube profile page, comments report and acknowledge that Shaye (Eric) has passed away. Many of the comments, from hate to praise, show the absurd strong and effective force that we have lost.