Where in the hell is Matt? Or Dancing to Connect

Awesomeness!!!! Everyone is doing the Kota Happy Dance!


NPR sent me this link - go there to get the full story.

You can't call that Art, you Whore

"Sex Workers’ Art Show" is the topic on the DAMage Report today at 2:30pm PST

"In a cabaret-style mix of music, drag, spoken word and multimedia performance art, The Sex Worker’ Art Show hopes to reinforce the notion of sex workers as artists. Performances will provide a variety of perspectives on sex work. Ideas range from prostitutes’ rights to “views from the darker sides of the industry. The Sex Worker’s Art Show aims to extend past the taboo to comment on class, race, gender, labor and sexuality." -   http://www.sexworkersartshow.com/

You can't call that Art, you Whore

Hookers, strippers and drag queens performing in a traveling show that discusses the adult entertainment industry? 

That's not art! 

That's just ...well... nasty. 

What would they know about art? 

Okay, so the complaints aren't about whether or not the show is art - it doesn't even make it that far out of the discussion bag. 

The fact that **gasp** porn stars and prostitutes would DARE show their faces to the good, decent people and TALK and SING about their experiences seems to be all it takes to cause an uproar. 

Actually.... the uproar seems to be more of a bored whimper. When you look at who ACTUALLY showed up at the public forum to "debate" the show's viability, there were only 30-40 people in attendance and most of those faculty (hall monitors.)

There was quite alot of  coverage in the various media on the "controversy" of strippers putting on a show, but very little (read nothing) on the show's content. 

It seems the focus was entirely on the artists and not the art. At all.

To add insult to injury there was whining about it not being controversial enough. 

No, really: "Most agree that the controversy this year has been less charged, both because the controversial Century Project has taken attention away from the show." 

So this is a case of "Wahhh, who stole my controversy?" 

The sad thing is that if the "controversy" of the show was spin, then it deflected from the potential message of the show and turned the whining around it into nothing more than a bored, half-assed pissing contest.  

One woman wrote to the newspaper and asked "Doesn’t presenting such a show trivialize and possibly even encourage the degradation and exploitation of women inherent in “sex work?” How does presenting a show like this encourage the search for truth and knowledge that universities claim to advance?"

Ohhh - let me answer that one! It opens the topic for discussion and provides access to info and viewpoints you couldn't easily get ... unless you wanted to start interviewing "ladies of the night." 

Instead of walking around with victorian era protests of morale outrage at the audacity of them 'hos, wouldn't it be great if people would open their minds a little and try to walk a few inches in someone else's FMPs? 

Is the show great art? Oh, hell if i know. I couldn't find out anything about it beyond those obligatory gasps of "How dare they!" and  "It's so controversial!" and "It's not controversial enough, damn that Century Project for stealing our thunder." 

But a peek at the bios of the performers leads me to think that these professional artists and art school graduates have themselves a showman's angle for the performance and probably make for more of an entertaining evening than an educational one. But y'all - whether they are performers or ladies of ill repute (heehee - i love that phrase - so damn funny) it is art and they are trying to convey a message. 

Resources:

• Sex Worker's Art Show - the controversy: http://www.counton2.com/cbd/news/weird_news/article/college_of_william_and_mary_hosts_controversial_sex_show/22554/

• low attendance at forum: http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/williamsburg/dp-local_sexworkers_0324mar24,0,2389583.story

• fourth showing at the college: http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDQyYzY5OTY2Zjg3ZmYzZGYxNzQyMDlkOGNjMzVjYzg=

• general info:   http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1630511

• The Show returns days after The Century Project closes on campus: http://flathatnews.com/content/70376/speaking-sex-work-and-art

their site: http://www.sexworkersartshow.com/about_03152009.html

Monday Poetry - Distancing

this is an older poem - one that plays with the impact of certain words, how they are treated (symbolic irony there if you read between the lines...heh) and pause breaks, before and after certain words. This one really works better in audio, so pretend you are HEARing it when you read it. :D

DIStancing

lip curls

disdain
a sneer
so smooooooooth
and slicing
i won't feel
the cut –

?startled?

**oh yes**
when blood begins to
flow.

your grail
from which both our lips
drank deeply

~worshipping~
infused
enlightened
heartbound and binding – then

!crushed!

so shiny it shatters

GROUND
underfoot.

frozen

me – my gaze
unforgiving
no more, no.

NOT now

never again
will your gifting
give pain
scald and burn –
….despair…

the past has gone up
in flames.

Pass the marshyMELLOWs
If you please?

It's that time of year... Prep for Swimsuit weather

Who needs the tv screens - there are all sorts of interesting things to watch while working out.

Well, some things more interesting than others.
Naked bicycling.... maybe not so much.

And no, that is not me captured falling off the treadmill... i'm smarter than that. I confiscated all the cameras.

DAMage Report Art Topic - Trade You One Jasper Johns...

Art. You know that fluff stuff that we don't really need and shouldn't bother supporting, because it is sooooo nonessential. No real impact on the economy, no real value.

Yet it seems some people are finding their art collections VERY essential to their cash flow.

Mister Banker, I'll trade you one "DeKooning" for one "Save My Business from Bankrupcy" card. 

"With stock portfolios plummeting and the economy tanking, owners of expensive art are increasingly using their collections as collateral to obtain a much-needed infusion of cash. Works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Willem de Kooning and Andy Warhol are among the pieces collectors have leveraged in recent months. The Metropolitan Opera put up two famed Marc Chagall murals in its lobby as collateral, and renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz recently borrowed $15 million against her entire collection of images."

The banks and the art-lending firms operate in different ways. The banks treat the art works as collateral and only take possession if the owner defaults on the loan, something that rarely happens.  Art Capital issues loans at interest rates ranging from 6 to 16 percent and in most cases takes possession of the art, similar to how a pawn broker would claim an item, keeping the pieces in secured storage vaults until the loan is repaid."

It seems somewhat ironic that a product produced by a segment of the population that has such difficulty finding support to stay alive, nevermind thriving, is what is keeping some people's butts out of the fire. For those who think it is only the paintings by "old masters" that have any value: Jeff Koons "Hanging Heart" sold for $23.6 million in 2007, Damien Hirst's Lullaby Spring sold for about $19.2 million, and Peter Doig’s 1991 painting, White Canoe, sold for $11.3 million.

Hey, anyone want to invest in a painting? You can get 'em cheap, cheap right now then trade it in for a new car in a few years.

Resource: http://www.pottstownmercury.com/articles/2009/03/16/business/srv0000004850390.txt

Animal Attraction by Charlene Teglia in stores today

"Chandra Walker always hoped to find out who her birth parents were; she just didn’t expect the truth to put her in the middle of a shapeshifter war with the power to determine the outcome, complicated by a forbidden love for two mates."

I still recall the first book of Charli's that I happened to pick up and read. It was "The Gripping Beast" published by Ellora's Cave. I had passed over it at least a dozen times in the bookstore because the cover art put me off, but for some reason the book kept calling out to me until I finally picked it up and read the first couple of pages. Instantly hooked, I gobbled the story up and fell madly in love with Charli's writing. We ran across each other online and became friends. (She is one hellava poet too.) Apparently my fan-girl drool didn't bother her too terribly much. I've read nearly, if not all, the books she's written and until she sent me the ARC (advanced reader copy) of Animal Attraction, my favorite novel of hers was Wild, Wild West. But hot cowboys and killer boots had to take a backseat to the thrilling tale of two werewolves and their slightly conflicted mate. 

The story is fast-paced with plenty of very hot menage-abunch sex and shifter butt-kickin' battles, but it is also woven with an intriguing mythological subplot that enriches the tale and left me wanting to know more about the very mysterious lord of the forest. 

Chandra, Zack and David were wonderfully memorable characters, the disparateness of their personalities creating a stronger bond as they fought their personal demons and found a way to balance their differences.

Besides... I am a total sucker for a really well written werewolf story. And that is exactly what Charli delivered.

Read it, you'll thank me. 

EXCERPT - Chapter One

Buy it here: http://us.macmillan.com/animalattraction

or in any major bookstore. It releases today!

For more about my bootz lovin' girl Charli, check out her blog. And tell her Kota sends her love. xxxx

I feel.... restless

Poem - If I knew Then

If I knew Then

if i knew then what i know now

i would have thrown myself

..............against the sky

arms spread wide

wrapped in clouds

as i leapt

.....trusting that life would catch me.

 

if i knew then what i know now
i could have danced wildly

..............wearing a midnight cloak

playing with stars

in fearless abandon

embracing the unknown

knowing

it only hurts for a moment

.....when you fall.

Wonderful Fantasy Art - just some sharing

2fer - on LAtalkRadio.com again today - same time: Struggling Arts

From USA Today Article: Fine arts are in survival mode as funds dry up 

Doreen Bolger sees her new exhibit of circus drawings by Pablo Picasso and other 20th-century artists as just right for the times. The images of acrobats and clowns, says the director of the Baltimore Museum of Art, are "uplifting and fun" at a time when the economy is in free fall.

Not so great is the $8 fee Bolger was forced to charge when the exhibit opened last week in the otherwise free museum. The museum has charged for a few special exhibits, but she had hoped this one could be free. Steep drops in the museum's endowment, contributions, government grants and gift shop sales, however, have made budget-balancing a high-wire act.

"There's rarely extra money in good times," says Bolger, whose museum opened in 1929, the year the Great Depression began. "We're already into the adversity mode."

The downturn walloping the entire economy has hit non-profit arts organizations especially hard. With millions of people scrambling to pay for food and other basics, a night at the opera can seem frivolous. So museums, symphonies, theaters, ballet companies and opera companies have cut staff, canceled performances, shortened seasons and, in some cases, shut down.

The worst may be yet to come.

Jesse Rosen of the League of American Orchestras says season subscriptions to performances, which are sold a year ahead of time, mask the full impact. "It's the second year when it catches up," he says.

That worries Jane Shannahan, a subscriber to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery. The festival recently canceled a $1.3 million production of Les Misérables because of declining contributions.

"It's important to support museums, symphonies, the dance and theater," she says. "These are things we need in society. If we lose them, we are declining faster than we think."

A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll in December found that 69% of Americans are cutting back on entertainment. Such sentiments have forced arts organizations to plan survival scenarios.

In New York, where more than a dozen Broadway shows closed in January, Carnegie Hall pared its schedule by 10%. The Miami City Ballet cut eight of 53 dancers. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra cut musicians' pay 11%.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art this week said it would eliminate 30 positions, postpone a Spanish art exhibit and possibly increase admission fees to deal with a 26% drop in its endowment. In Washington, the Smithsonian Institution has frozen all hiring. Brandeis University sparked an uproar when it announced it would close the Rose Art Museum outside Boston and sell works by Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and others to fill potential budget gaps.

When soaring gas prices, plummeting tourism and a big drop in contributions threw it into financial crisis, the Kentucky Repertory Theatre in Horse Cave enlisted actor and native Kentuckian George Clooney to help raise $350,000.

The Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City dealt with dwindling donations by shortening its summer season and putting on plays with smaller, less-expensive casts in its fall season.

In California, the Palm Springs Art Museum has resorted to layoffs, shorter hours and a hiring freeze as it waits for checks from supporters whose investments have shrunk. Says marketing director Bob Bogard: "The pledges just haven't come through yet."

As foundation grants and private donations dry up, arts groups become more creative. When the real estate bust and high unemployment sent ticket sales south and once-generous donors stopped returning phone calls, Florida Repertory Theatre in Fort Myers improvised with a limited-time deal of five plays for $99, nearly half the regular price. That "put hundreds of new people into the theater," artistic director Bob Cacioppo says.

Others beg.

In January, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra e-mailed an urgent plea just before canceling the season's final two concerts. "Our future is not certain. BCO's fate is in the hands of our loyal audience and donors," it said. "There are no bailouts for non-profit organizations."

"It's frightening," says Lockwood Hoehl, BCO's executive director. "We're unfortunately at the bottom of the food chain. The general thought about the arts in our society is it's expendable."

Overcoming 'practicality'

The philosophical divide between those who see the arts as frivolous and those who see its value is as old as the nation. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the federal Works Progress Administration paid thousands of unemployed artists to write regional guidebooks, produce plays and organize symphony orchestras. The work of more than 5,000 artists can still be seen today in murals commissioned for schools, post offices and other government buildings.

President Obama has not proposed such a program but supports increased arts funding. Most Republicans oppose spending tax dollars on aesthetics.

"America is a practical nation that comes from very practical roots," says Robert Lynch of the advocacy group Americans for the Arts. "That practicality … is part of what we've had to overcome."

It was on display in the recent debate in Congress over the economic stimulus package.

The House of Representatives version included $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts to help non-profit arts organizations avoid closing or laying off workers, but the Senate version left it out. The final bill restored the money for the NEA.

"Putting people to work is more important than putting more art on the wall of some New York City gallery frequented by the elite art community," said Republican Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia during the debate.

Lynch calls that attitude "uninformed and perhaps disingenuous." His group estimates that non-profit arts organizations generate $166.2 billion each year in cultural and related spending such as restaurants and parking, and they produce $30 billion in tax revenue and 5.7 million jobs.

"Those jobs are every bit as important as an auto industry worker," Lynch says. He says 10,000 arts groups employing 260,000 artists and support workers could close this year.

Brian Riedl, a federal budget analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, sees it differently.

"When families are struggling to make ends meet, $50 million going to the arts means $50 million less to help families put food on the table," Riedl says.

Josh Bivens of the liberal Economic Policy Institute calls that "a false choice" and says any spending is good spending in an ailing economy. Plus, "it's something we should support as a society."

Artists have heard it all before.

"We in the arts have always had to fight to get the message of our value across," says Debbie Chinn, managing director of Centerstage, a regional theater here. "The arts isn't fluff. It's not discretionary. It's a very important piece of our lives."

'Nobody to turn to'

As in other cities, the economic downturn has not hit all parts of Baltimore's arts scene with equal force. More-established, better-endowed groups such as Centerstage, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Walters Art Museum have cut back but are financially sound. Smaller organizations with less-secure financial underpinnings, such as the Baltimore Opera, the Baltimore Theatre Project and the chamber orchestra, may not survive.

With few huge corporations in the community, Baltimore arts groups have relied on local companies such as money manager Legg Mason, Constellation Energy and Whiting Turner construction for support. All are reeling.

Randi Vega, head of cultural affairs at Baltimore's arts council, says next summer's Artscape festival will be scaled back. Sponsors have cut funding and at least one, General Motors' Saturn, is expected to pull out.

Public money also is drying up as states struggle with yawning budget deficits. In Maryland, lawmakers have threatened to cut arts funding by 36%. "There's nobody to turn to," Vega says. "There isn't going to be a white knight to pick up the slack."

There wasn't for the Baltimore Opera. In December, owing $1.2 million to creditors, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and canceled two performances, the first time since 1950 it cut its season short.

Opera may face the most perilous times. Companies often must charge ticket prices of several hundred dollars to cover the cost of large orchestras and elaborate sets and costumes.

Next to past recessions, "this is more widespread and came up quicker," Baltimore Opera general manager M. Kevin Wixted says. "You can continue to try to bump along, but it didn't work."

Wixted hopes to be back by the fall season but says, "All operas are basically on the edge."

The Washington National Opera has put off Wagner's four-part Ring cycle. The Los Angeles Opera laid off 17% of its staff. A few companies have closed, including Opera Pacific in Santa Ana, Calif., and Hartford's 67-year-old Connecticut Opera.

Marc Scorca of the advocacy group Opera America hopes fans elsewhere will keep coming.

"The opera audience is unusually passionate," he says. "We hope that passion places opera at the very bottom of the list of things that will be cut."

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has seen ticket sales sag and its endowment plunge, but the full season will go on — with a tweak. Instead of performing Mahler's SixthSymphony— which would have required 10 extra brass musicians at a cost of $20,000 — the orchestra will play Mahler's Ninth.

At Centerstage, where the endowment has shrunk by 35% and fewer people are buying full-season subscriptions, Chinn is struggling to keep the curtain up. She and five others worked without pay in February.

A recent production of the musical Caroline,or Change was staged without understudies to save money.

A few blocks away, at the Walters Art Museum, director Gary Vikan is taking a one-month unpaid furlough after a 27% drop in endowment funds forced him to lay off seven of 150 employees, freeze salaries and hiring and cancel an exhibit on French painter Jean-Léon Gérôme.

Vikan and the Baltimore Museum of Art's Bolger are determined to preserve free admission, which began three years ago with a local government grant that runs out in October. Since 2006, they say, the number of minorities, children and first-time visitors has soared.

Vega, of the arts council, isn't surprised: "In times like these, people are looking for ways to reduce their stress, and the arts are certainly a way to do that."

*******************************************

An article today about the Met having to lay off 75 people led me to search around and see who else is hurting. I'm afraid we tend to think that with $50 million allotted to the NEA in the stimulus package that the arts should be all cool and survive just fine. Uhhhh... no. Something is better than nothing but it's not going to save the arts. We need to do that. How? Do at least one art related activity a month. Pay the small fee to go to the museum on sunday with your family. Or take them to see a local performance. Visit a local gallery opening and if you can afford to - buy some art. Buy a book. Do SOMETHING. It doesn't have to be expensive but I promise - it'll be better for you than a Big Mac with a side of wii. 

Dancing in the Dark - Poem 2007

Dancing in the Dark

An elaborate dance

of strategic moves,

one must retreat

for the other to advance.

Backward slides

and forward glides

we tease, plead and cajole

both trying to lead

in this elaborate dance.

Our rhythm out of synct

our timing slightly off,

we touch skin to skin, mind to mind

heart to heart then spin away

until inexplicably we're drawn together again

in this elaborate dance.

Oh, Those Wacky, Wacky Artists

Age old question: "what is art."
There really is no field of "work" more subjective than the arts, relying entirely on the reactive impact of the viewer for its validity.
"I like it."
"I don't like it."
And artists....hoo boy... they will do some crazy things in the name of "art."
Sometimes for attention.
Sometimes to communicate an idea.
Sometimes to wake the great slumbering beast that is the public.
Part of the magic of art is that it pushes at some and pulls at others. What is tragic is when someone takes the word of another on how they should feel about a certain piece. It is easy to do. We can do it without thought; never delving deeper to examine the "art" in question to develop our own opinions.

I almost made that mistake this week after reading a letter to the editor of the New York Times that popped up on my news feed entitled "Madness Disguised as Art."
In reaction to a story in the NY Times about Teching Hsieh, the author of the letter said,

"Art, it’s generally understood, is a carefully executed endeavor that enhances the emotional or intellectual experience of the viewer or audience, giving pleasure and, perhaps, a greater understanding and appreciation of the human condition. As I read about Tehching Hsieh, I sought insight into what his masochistic exercises might mean to anyone else. This poor fellow locked himself up for a year behind bars in virtual isolation, then for another year deprived himself of sleep and most human contact by punching a time clock every hour, then for another year shunned shelter. And much, much more, including jumping out of a second-story window and breaking both ankles. The article rattled on about Mr. Hsieh’s “art” instead of his obvious mental illness."

My initial reaction was complete agreement. The "so-called" artist sounded like another nutcase seeking attention by "acting out" in ludicrious and dangerous ways. I almost moved on. My perception on the artist was signed, sealed, delivered and wrapped up in a nice little package with someone else's opinion stamped all over it. But for some inexplicable reason I clicked on the link to the original story that had inspired the empassioned rant. And discovered a fascinating story about a struggling asian artist trying to communicate, through performance art, the complete alienation he was experiencing as an illegal immigrant to this country. If that was all his performance work conveyed it would have possibly made it as a footnote in the art history books, distinguished only by artistic extremes.

But when you delve into the pieces he created, look at how they relate to isolationism in humanity, to despair, to the "rat race" at large, they begin to take on relevance and significance.

"For decades he was almost an urban legend, his harrowing performances — the year he punched a time clock hourly, the year he lived on the streets, the year he spent tethered by a rope to a female artist — kept alive by talk."

In performance art, the artist themselves are the work of art and Mr. Hsieh created art out of extreme action in a very calculated manner in order to communicate his concepts. It is ironic that he is receiving recognition at museums such as the Museum of Modern Art thirty years later, after he has denounced himself as no longer an artist. Apparently the decision has been taken out of his hands by the art world. The irony ties in so very nicely to the bleak fatalism behind his work.

"“If art good, people remember. If art bad, history clean up.” - Teching Hsieh

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/arts/design/01sont.html?_r=1&ref=arts

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/03/01/arts/20090301_HSIEH_SLIDESHOW_index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/arts/08alsmail-MADNESSDISGU_LETTERS.html?_r=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/arts/08alsmail-TEHCHINGHSIE_LETTERS.html

Barbie Gets a Tramp Stamp!

Yay! Barbie is breaking out of her box again and now comes with tattoos. Probably little hearts, unicorns, and butterflies. (I found a picture...heehee.)

It's kind of funny that Miss Thang getting a tattoo is such a hot and controversial news topic. For me it is more of a social commentary of what is hot and what is not.

I'm beginning to think that much like punk music that ends up as regurgitated elevator musak, (just possibly a sign that it is no longer "edgy" or "cool"???) once something is packaged with a barbie, its day is done.

I'd say next up would be Barbie getting her clit pierced, but i don't think she has one.
Hmmmm... poor thing can't even get nipple rings.

Anyway - this cracked me up.

Someone point me to the nearest laser removal shoppe.

Oh, and I'm scrubbing "stylin" from my vocabulary.

Barbie caught up in tattoo controversy
Updated: 22:01, Thursday March 5, 2009
Barbie may have turned 50 last month but there's no slowing her down.
She has reinvented herself yet again, but there's controversy over her latest fashion accessory.
'Totally stylin' tattoos' Barbie has recently hit shelves in the US.
The doll comes complete with body-art stickers, which can be placed anywhere on her body.
Some die-hard Barbie fans are less than impressed with the new addition.
I guess I am old school now, but that would not fly, I would not buy that for my granddaughters,' American grandmother Beth Kirkpatrick said.
Mattel says it has no plans to discontinue the doll and says it gives girls a chance to express themselves. http://www.skynews.com.au/showbiz/article.aspx?id=309131

Interestingly enough, they did discontinue a Tattoo Barbie ten years ago when there were protests. Watching the shifts in attitudes on what evolves into acceptable cultural norms in any given decade can be an intriguing and amusing passtime.

Song for the day - Break Even

won't allow embedding - :(
Love this song....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIHVDc39AHY

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in
Cos I got time while she got freedom
Cos when a heart breaks no it don't break even

Her best days will be some of my worst
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first
While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping
Cos when a heart breaks no it don't breakeven... even... no

What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you,
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,
I'm falling to pieces

They say bad things happen for a reason
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding
Cos she's moved on while I'm still grieving
And when a heart breaks no it don't breakeven even... no

What am I gonna to do when the best part of me was always you,
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,
I'm falling to pieces
(One still in love while the other ones leaving)
I'm falling to pieces
(Cos when a heart breaks no it don't breakeven)

Oh you got his heart and my heart and none of the pain
You took your suitcase, I took the blame.
Now I'm try'na make sense of what little remains ooh
Cos you left me with no love and no love to my name.

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in
Cos I got time while she got freedom
Cos when a heart breaks no it don't break
No it don't break
No it don't break even no

What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you and
What am I suppose to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok
(Oh glad your okay now)
I'm falling to pieces yeah
(Oh I'm glad your okay)
I'm falling to pieces yeah
(One still in love while the other ones leaving)
I'm falling to pieces
(Cos when a heart breaks no it don't breakeven)

Oh it don't break even no
Oh it don't break even no
Oh it don't break even no

Time to paint the fig leaves back on nudes?

An exhibition that has been touring the country for 25 years is creating controversy and protests in the south... at locations where it was perfectly acceptable just a few short years ago. The age-old debate of nude art versus pornography has resurfaced. Frank Cordelle's powerful exhibition "The Century Project" combines stunning nude portraits with personal statements "describing instances of rape, debilitating illness, disfiguring surgeries, distorted social expectations, as well as reflections of humor and joy." It is a journey into the soul of women of all ages, all shapes, all ethnicities. 

The imagery, as well as the notes from the women themselves are powerful and moving. Excellent art should make you think... should create a response that causes the viewer to engage the brain cells and take a fresh new look at themselves and the world. Art ain't just about painting pretty pictures. According to the website, one of the project’s goals is to "effect change in societal attitudes towards women’s bodies."

But puritanical attitudes regarding nudity in art are inciting protests and not a little foaming at the mouth hatred. The exhibition will be displayed for the first time without the images of nude children (everyone burn your Anne Geddes baby nudes) that are a part of the show.  "The pictures are completely innocent," said Cordelle. "They are made in the same style as all the other pictures that are up in the room. They are very non sexual."

Some students who viewed the pictures don't understand why officials decided to censor the photos now, after the entire collection showed on campus back in 2002.

Arguments against the exhibit include  "the exhibit is harmful to the cause of ending violence against women.” and “It’s a classic trick of those who work in the porn industry” to put an artistic spin on their work. (Oh yeah - the classic, if it is nude it must be porn argument.) On a website dedicated to protesting the exhibition one person felt the artist was "a menace to society and should be in prison." Hand the man a bag of fig leaves and map to all the museums.

Reference Links:

http://www.thecenturyproject.com/newsite/html/contact.html

http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=9934480&nav=menu157_2

http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/4428

Airing my Opinion - heehee

Guess what! I'll be talking ARTS n' Stuff every Wednesdays with Johnny Dam on the DAMage Report. Y'all can tune in between 2-5pm PST / 5:30 EST / 10:30 GMT at http://www.latalkradio.com/. Call-ins are cool! You can listen from anywhere in the world as long as you have internet access.

Topics will be posted on my FaceBook page, on Johnny's FB page and HERE on my Blog every Wed. So I guess whoever told me dorky was good, was right. :P

BTW - since two heads are better than one (minds out of the gutter please) and a dozen eyes are better than two, if y'all run across an national arts relationed news article that you think would be good for discussion, email me the link. If i use it, i'll give you credit of course.

Also- kinda along these lines, you old-timers probably recall the Lakota Princess "Dear Lakota" wacky letters about sex, relationships, etc. - all answered in a completely ridiculous manner. I'm thinking about reinstating those. Let me know what you think. If you have a letter you want to send email it to lakotaphillips@gmail.com and remember, you can take nothing i say seriously. Humor is the name of the game. The sillier the better. :D

xxxx
Kota