Bill Henson: my impressions
millennial slippage is the term coined by Bill Henson to describe the current state of affairs worldwide. He emphasized that “The truth of art” should be exposed to our children, that we should never forget our artistic and cultural history. it’s on the basis of this that we can move forward rather than submitting to this millennial slippage.
The speech last night was excellent. Listening to Bill Henson discuss various cultural references, I looked around at a variety of young, blank, faces and I felt how true some of his statements were. we do need to expose our children to art, to history, to culture. art is the expression of history and the cumulation of our civilization. I was struck by Henson’s self effacing nature. watching him you would never know that someone so apparently shy was embroiled in such a shocking controversy that rocked the art world two years ago. It was interesting how little he cited his own work, preferring to discuss literature, composers and classic painters.
The political nature of the lecture was fascinating as he skirted any specific examples and avoided namecalling, calling instead for a return to statesmanship and common sense with more respect for the arts- both historical and current. I believe he feels truly wounded by Kevin Rudd’s insensitive and ill informed comments about his works, but rose above it to be the bigger person (as opposed to the way it was described in The Age).
I was particularly interested in the discussion about consent and censorship. His defense of the censorship board came as a surprise to some. giving credit where credit was due, he made it clear that the board were very supportive through the entire ordeal. The media have leapt on his comments about consent, afterall, Henson attacked a sacred covenant, contact sport for minors. this was a much more controversial statement than his research that life modeling for artists has no documented history of causing trauma to minors. The reverse appears to be true as so many previous models came to his defense during the scandal and remain solid friends.
I rose above my fear of public speaking to ask a question about the attitudes towards the nude in australia. his answer, in essence, was that he believes this is a wave and that most people are smart enough to realize the ridiculousness of the current attitudes, that the nude is a constant through these waves of attitude and censorship and will remain. I wish I agree that commonsense will prevail!
I wrote copious notes and will write about this further, I want to digest my thoughts more before I do. Needless to say, it was a pleasure to listen to such an articulate, genteel soul speak with passion and conviction. for further comments and observations please read Peter Ryan’s commentary at his blog.
nude nazi mickey enflaming viewers
The poster, which was unveiled a month back, is an artist’s take on what he calls the “horrors” of the American lifestyle.
“This art provocation is a form of violence
against the sensitivity of many people,” Norbert Napieraj told The Associated Press.The Prosecutors, however, claim that the poster is art which does not violate the country’s laws against glorifying Nazism.
The poster has been vandalised twice since it was put up but gallery director Maria Czarnecka said that she does not plan to remove it.Czarnecka told The Associated Press, “Art should be provocative and controversial.”
She insists that the poster does not intend to propagate Nazism but instead wants to explore “symbols and how they work.”
I admit that I find this work fairly unimaginative, it reminds me of the sort of thing you see first year art students creating as they rail against the status quo. it’s angry and designed to offend. the good news is that this time it isn’t the nude that’s causing the furor- thank goodness for that! I agree that art should be ‘provocative and controversial’, that is one of the many points of art, but there is a fine line between designing something to be provocative and creating it in order to offend people. The massive swastika does seem to glorify nazism – how can it not? it’s the first thing you see. it’s the primary focus. perhaps adding more symbols to reinforce their key concept may detract from the implied glorification, I don’t know, but it seems a little inflammatory to me.
I’ve always wondered about artwork like this. when the message is so blatant, and the intent is worn on it’s sleeve (frame?) what is there to ponder? what makes you return to the work? what makes it relatable to people?
Building Blocks in Michigan ‘Not a sex act’
Nonetheless, Miller says this week Chatterley will come to St. Joseph to disassemble the sculpture and re-assemble it inside the gallery. That way it will be out of the view of the general public.
“We are hearing their voices and because of the sensitivities of some, we’ll move it into the galleries,” said Metz.
“To have to drive back and move it because people are offended by the content, in my wildest dreams, I’d never expected that piece to do it,” Chatterley added.
“I want to be very clear. There is not a sex act happening in this work. There is no genitalia. If you look at it closely, there is not a sex act happening in this work. The Krasl would not put a piece of work on display in which the interpretation I’ve heard would be happening. We would never do that. I do empathize. I do see where people could have that interpretation,” says Miller.
The fallout from “Building Blocks,” however, is creating some unintended consequences.
“I’m both extremely frustrated and elated. I’ve seen more people stop and look at our sculpture than in the last two years,” Miller says.[From Sculpting controversy on the lakeshore | WSBT - News, Weather, Sports South Bend | Local News ]
I think it’s great that the arts center is receiving more visitors and notice as a result, that’s a great way to expose people to art. it’s a shame that the controversy is forcing them to move the sculpture. I agree with the Artist Mark Chatterley that it comes as a real surprise. I can’t help but think that if they move the piece the people who think that it’s a sexual piece will feel vindicated. even others will be wondering if there is something wrong. giving in to the great unwashed often makes them believe that they were right all along. this ends up being counter productive for the arts. take a look a the alt tag for this piece in the article- it;s titled and named “obscene_art.jpg” -does that tell you something? it might be for Google’s benefit or it might be their opinion but either way it seems to be very biased
What gets me is that these can barely be called nudes. they are so androgynous and stylized that they don’t have any details that might be offensive. it’s the positioning of these humanoids that seems to be the issue for everyone, get your head out of the gutter! the thing about art is that you bring what is in your mind to what you see.
Do you think this piece is dirty?
Unscheduled nudity and vomiting- visitors react to Abramovic at MoMA
He just ran up to the outer ropes stuck his fingers down his throat and threw up. He then stumbled back and tried to throw up again, but not much came out. The guards grabbed him and kicked him out. Marina didn’t move the whole time
[From Vomit! Nudity! Litter! Marina Abramovic's Marathon Performance Ends In Chaos]
The Artist is Present has now finished it’s run at MoMA. this piece has been laced with controversy from the beginning and has fascinated the public and the web. what is particularly interesting is the implied permission for audience participation that has led to behavior both interesting, sad and strange. it is extremely sad that some visitors felt the need to grope the nude figures on display, it’s strange that someone voiced his lack of appreciation by vomiting and it’s very interesting that a woman was so moved by the exhibition that she chose to do her pace to face participation in the nude.
…I thought hard about how to thank her—write a letter, make a film and hand it to her when I sat with her? When I landed on the idea of sitting naked across from her, I knew that was it. I could be, for a moment, as vulnerable to her as she constantly makes herself to us.
Alas, when her moment came, and she disrobed, seven security guards quickly made their way over to escort her out of the museum. Decker tells us:
I thought nudity would bring joy, spontaneity! Not TEARS, CHAOS. I honestly thought that the worst that would happen was that I would be asked to put my clothes back on. I still can’t believe I was escorted out of the building by a group of guards and told that if I returned, I would be arrested. In “The Artist is Present,” the audience is a huge part of the work, and by entering that space and following the rules (sit silently, do not bring anything into the space, maintain eye contact, and the unstated one: don’t touch Marina), I expected any audience member could stay as long as he or she was willing to be present.
I actually understand her thinking here, it’s the kind of statement I would have been tempted to make as well. sometimes things can only be expressed with nudity. it’s a shame that MoMA didn’t see it that way, perhaps if she had pre-arranged it, it would have been fine. I wonder if it was the act of getting undressed that was the problem rather than the nudity itself. it seems to me nudity is often not remarkable, but the process of moving from clothed to nude creates a sexual context, and the inappropriateness. I do wish that Decker had been allowed to express herself the way she wanted.
This piece keeps reminding me of the buckingham palace guards. and reminds me of how seeing that stoic determination and discipline makes people irrationally want to break it. it’s a need we seem to have. why is that?
no Pride in censoring nude art
Many GLBT community members have become increasingly concerned that Pride seems less and less Queer friendly and more driven by the almighty buck. Jennifer Pritchett, owner of Smitten Kitten, states “When you let money make decisions for you, you run the risk of those decisions being antithetical to your mission.”
Debauch has been contacted via email by Dot Belstler, the current Executive Director of this year’s Twin Cities Pride. Belstler writes, “I am so sorry this has caused you and your colleagues such pain. It was certainly not the intent – nor was censorship. In the future, we will attempt to be more clear in the call for Art, but please understand that sexually explicit content must be handled with sensitivity.” She also addressed the issue of censorship in the following statement “In this particular case, I believe “Mansweat” may have been confused with the full frontal nudity pictured in “Morning on the Balcony.” Of course “Mansweat” is not too erotic, it is a beautiful painting and we would be proud to display it in the show.”
These comments have left many wondering what constitutes erotica in a digital age. Any search engine will pull up a flaccid penis photograph while searching for information about syphilis. As for art and nudes – sculptures of male nudes grace the entries of some of our most noted institutions including Westminster Presbyterian Church. In this age, why should an oil painting of a male nude without an erection be considered too hot to handle?
[From Too hot to handle: Pride drops artist’s work saying it’s too erotic | Twin Cities Daily Planet]
The issue of erotica and the queer community is a tricky one. there are the quite right concerns that the dollar is becoming too important, that the conservatives and sponsors are taking over and quashing expression. I hope this is not the case. there is also, often, a concern within the community itself that too much erotica can underplay the seriousness of queer rights, fostering and reinforcing the opinions that being queer is all about sex, that everyone GLBT are unrestrained hedonists. I don’t hear that in this article, but I have heard it voiced as a concern in other Pride style events and I can’t help but wonder if this so-called mix up is due to the dollar, to perception or just to plain fear. the email certainly smacks of frantic backpedaling.
When an artist is well known for their sexually explicit works it often becomes hard for them to gain acceptance for their non sexual art. combine that with the fact that the artist is (gasp) gay and there is a ticking time bomb waiting for a ‘misunderstanding’ like this. it’s unfortunate that it is so hard to straddle both sides of the fence in this respect. usually you have to be either one or the other. People always seem to want to put things, people, artworks, into a box, label it and put it away. Events like Pride should be about breaking out of boxes and away from labels- not reinforcing this habitual behavior.
no nude by kishin photo shoot under fire
If convicted, Shinoyama faces up to six months in prison or a fine of up to Y300,000 ($A3,861.25).The cemetery was one of a dozen public locations in Tokyo where two models posed nude for a photo collection titled, No Nude by Kishin 20XX, which was released in January 2009.
Shinoyama said in a statement on Thursday the models took off their clothes only briefly, ‘‘seconds or up to two minutes at the longest’’.
He was concerned about the definition of public indecency, which could discourage artistic expression, he said.But Shinoyama added,
‘‘I humbly accept the case as a lesson, and I will pursue my challenges to new forms of expression.’’
[From Kishin Shinoyama charged over nude photoshoot at cemetery]
Kishin Shinoyama is an iconic Japanese nude photographer. his work has gone a long way towards changing the attitudes towards nude art in Japan over the years and has certainly developed a following, I have found the unusual shapes he creates and interesting lighting rather fascinating. the photobook images were photographed in a range of locations, railway tracks, and most notably a cemetary. what is interesting about the charges here is that this case began in late 2009 for a book that was published i January and a shoot that took place in 2008. This quote is from an article from the original raid in November last year.
Police investigators searched the office and home of Tokyo-based photographer Kishin Shinoyama on Tuesday on suspicion of public indecency over the shooting of nude photos for his book of photos “20XX TOKYO.”
The investigators also raided the office in Tokyo of a talent agency to which one of the two models, a 21-year-old actress, belongs.
Shinoyama, 68, allegedly took outdoor nude shots of the models in Tokyo from mid- to late August 2008 in situations where anyone could see them, the police said.
The Metropolitan Police Department also plans to question Shinoyama, police sources said.
[From Tokyo-based photographer's office, home raided over nude photo shoot | The Japan Times Online]
Apparently it took this long to question him.
it should be noted that the fine isn’t actually that stringent, but the threatened jail time is. the basis for all of these allegations is purely on the photographs themselves. no witnesses or complainants have come forward, there appear to be no damages or issues, just a hearsay (see-say?) almost two years after the initial photoshoot. no statement has been made about whether any permits or permission was granted at the time. I think it is sad that Shinoyama believes that he should “pursue [his] challenges to new forms of expression”. I hope that doesn’t mean that he is planning to give up the nude altogether just because of this issue when there seems to be so little basis for a case.
rare Constable nude uncovered
A female nude sketch by John Constable has sold for £20,000 after it was covered up for 145 years by its prudish owner who thought is was too risqué.
The pencil drawing featuring the bare bottom of a naked woman was placed in an album of other work by the English artist, and had a dinner invitation pasted over it.
The owner, thought to have been a British aristocrat, decided to hide it as she didn’t want to offend people when showing off the album.
[From Rare nude sketch by Constable uncovered after being hidden away by prudish owners | Mail Online]
this is the kind of art find collectors dream about, a seemingly ordinary purchase with a delightful surprise like an artistic box of crackerjacks. Constable is well known for his landscapes mostly, beautiful classic realist works like the Hay Wain. This nude, however is so elegantly simple, the curves suggested in elegant sweeping lines. I’m thrilled to see it uncovered and going to a new owner who will treasure it.
I wonder, sometimes, if the pendulum is swinging back this way, if we are re-establishing victorian prudishness and attitudes. at times when I fear that I like to remember the proliferation of underground nude art, ribald cartoons and interesting pornographic and sexual paraphernalia. the surface of the victorian era was pristine but it had a delightfully seedy underbelly. true that the stuff that was considered shocking then is nothing compared with what we see today, but I think that there is a parallel between what people will admit to and what people actually do. we have the same two faced dichotomy today as we did back then.
would you like to come up and see my etchings?
world record set by Picasso’s Nude, Green Leaves and Bust
Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Picasso
A rarely -seen Pablo Picasso painting of his mistress sold for $106.5million (£70.2million) at auction last night, a new world record.
‘Nude, Green Leaves and Bust’, which had a pre-sale estimate of between $70million and $90million, went to an unidentified telephone bidder at Christie’s in New York.
There were nine minutes of bidding involving eight clients in the sale room and on the phone, Christie’s said.
The final bid was $95million, but the buyer’s premium took the sale price to $106.5million.
[From Picasso painting 'Nude, Green Leaves and Bust' fetches record $106.5m at Christie's | Mail Online]
I think it is interesting that nudes consistently set records in sales at auction. it says something about the high end world of art collecting.
a lot of speculation has been made about this work and this auction over the past few days, I often wonder if the hype over an auction becomes a self fulfilling prophecy where the bidders seek to live up to the hype and create the records that have been the subject of speculation. I also always wonder, with high end art auctions, how much the art really plays a part. if a piece has been publicized this much isn’t the owning itself a status symbol? will the art be purchased and enjoyed or will it go into a vault somewhere to gather dust and ducats? will it be appreciated as a work of art or as a status symbol? or both?
there has also been speculation that this heralds the end of the dry art market and is a sign of the end of the recession. I think that we can’t read too much into it. in any market a Picasso is a good investment.
India’s loss, Qatar’s Gain – M.F Husain to receive Qatar nationality
I have personally accompanied Mr. Husain to court proceedings in Indore and have first-hand experience of the harassment and terror he faced from bigoted mobs. I received him in Mumbai on his return from the first of his temporary exiles and saw what insecurity and uncertainty this creative genius had to endure in rising India. It is ironical that a country whose religious art often portrays nudity and even overt sexuality, as in the case of the Khajuraho sculptures and the murals and frescoes of south Indian temples, has grown so intolerant as to drive into permanent exile its most famous artist.
I know no one more genuinely and deeply committed to the composite, multi-religious, and secular values of Indian civilisation than M. F. Husain. He breathes the spirit of modernity, progress, and tolerance. The whole narrative of what forced him into exile, including the shameful failure of the executive and the legal system to enable his safe return, revolves round the issues of freedom of expression and creativity and what secular nationhood is all about.
The conferment of Qatar nationality is an honour to Mr. Husain, to his artistic genius, and to the India-rooted civilisational values he represents. Nevertheless, it is a sad day for India.
[From The Hindu : News / National : M.F. Husain gets Qatar nationality ]
It is wonderful that an artist like Husain, who has been so vilified by his home country, has found acceptance and a new life for himself. the First Lady of Qatar has commissioned a series on the history of the Arab Civilization, which Husain is working on in conjunction with a series on the history of the Indian civilization- should make for some interesting works that will, no doubt, enrage extremists in India further. such a shame.
I’ve written about M.F Husain extensovely in the past. here is a list of posts tracking the controversies surrounding India’s Picasso and his startling nude works.
16/09MF Husain’s Nude art aquitted
12/05Nudity is a part of Art – MF Husain Exonerated
24/03Controversial Nudes did sell… and well
20/03Declaration of war against art?
5000 live nude bodies in Sydney for Tunick Shoot
The Base at the Opera House by Spencer Tunick
Inhibitions were soon forgotten as people struggled to keep warm and fulfil Tunick’s endless instructions.
“I’m not the world’s best photographer but I am an artist and a perfectionist,” he said, as he exhorted 5000 people to work in unison.
“And I want us to make an artwork you’ll be proud of.”
Six or seven positions later came Tunick’s most confronting request.
“If you came with a partner, I want you to kiss your partner. If you came with a friend, I want you to kiss your friend. If you came alone, I want you to turn to someone else who is alone and kiss them.”
Eventually he relented and added “or embrace them”.
Suddenly I was aware of being alone in a crowd: I was surrounded by couples. Bounding up several steps I came face to face with an elderly man in the same predicament. We took one look at each other and embraced, admitting that, while it felt a little strange at first, it was a pleasant enough way to keep warm. Now the crowd really were as one. It was a beautiful moment.
Once Tunick gave the disband signal, most people scrambled for their clothes, while some hung back, grabbing the unique opportunity to take happy snaps of themselves starkers at the Opera House.
As I dressed, I was relieved to be warm again at last but also a little disappointed that it was over so soon.
[From I was a model for Spencer Tunick - Arts - Entertainment - smh.com.au]
I love the idea of the different poses and the concept of the kiss. I am looking forward to seeing the final photographs and genuinely sorry I had to miss out. this is such an inspiration that people can shed their inhibitions and realize that it’s all just skin, we all have it and there is nothing that special, shameful or worrisome about it. it’s another step forward- especially in a country that is seeing way too much in the way of censorship. Congratulations to all participants!
for videos of the nude shoot and some of the results visit the SMH website
Celebrating birth with nude Tunick shoot
Chris and Amanda Burke. Photo: Adam Hollingworth
NOTHING will stand in the way of this couple taking part in photographer Spencer Tunick’s nude installation tomorrow – not even the birth of their twins.
Amanda and Chris Burke rescheduled the birth so they could be among the expected 2000 people to assemble nude on the Opera House steps.
After the shoot, Ms Burke will rush to the hospital to be induced for the birth.
”As soon as we’ve had our picture, I will be running for a taxi,” Ms Burke said. ”We’ve always admired Spencer’s work so we’re willing to put anything on hold – including giving birth to our twins.”
[From Two bare all before mum bears two]
Good on them! I chickened out because I am so close to term and it was in Sydney but I think it is wonderful that a couple is celebrating like this. I wish them lots of luck and joy with their twins and hope the birth goes smoothly. it will certainly be a day they will never forget- and a great story for the kids later!
Boundless Gallery to close it’s Virtual Doors
Spirit – 36×21 Oils on Canvas – SOLD
Apparently the recession isn’t only hitting the bricks and mortar galleries. Boundless Gallery, one of my most successful online galleries is closing on March 1. I am saddened by this as I have made the most sales through them online, including one just this week. the announcement came a couple of days ago and has thrown the community of artists into shock as we fear losing our payments due.
The official announcement has assured artists that they will continue to be paid for all sales up to March 1. there is no information regarding renewal payments at this stage.
While I am sad to see Boundless go, I have watched the market expand exponentially with many new online galleries coming into fruition. some with more marketing plans, stronger designs and art buying tools. I believe online art galleries are the way forward, especially for people like myself, to tap into international markets and make continual sales despite physical limitations.
I don’t understand how their business model could be losing money, the overhead costs should be covered by artist payments and commissions. the paypal fees are passed onto the artists and maintenance should be minimal. however, I feel that in the last year or so Boundless has let it’s marketing slide, not tapping into social media enough or keeping their design modern and up to date. the mixed colors, fonts and styles have led to it looking sloppier, less high end. This has not been helped by the artists who have been lowering their prices in the current recession. all of this leads to less buyer confidence. some artists have been reporting slow payments and layoffs of staff that we know speak to this coming for a little while.
My other online gallery, Discovered Artists, has changed it’s business model drastically moving to a more traditional commercial gallery system. they represent artists, curate the works displayed and market aggressively. I believe that this model will be ultimately quite successful and their design and pricing is very high end. They are the first to use this system and while they are still emerging I do believe they will come out ahead.
For BG artists looking for a way forward, I recommend reading Empty Easel’s advice on selling online. they have excellent reviews of most online galleries.
Won’t somebody please think of the artists?
Mr Hatzistergos will today release the recommendations by the NSW Child Pornography Working Party, set up after the Henson scandal.
The group, comprising Department of Public Prosecutions, police and Legal Aid representatives, was instructed to draw a clear line between pornography and art.
Its report, delivered to the Government on Friday, recommends art not be a consideration when reviewing images thought to be pornographic.
Mr Hatzistergos said the proposed laws would cover the production, distribution and possession of child pornography.
“The fact that it is art cannot be used as a defence. The report recommends that once such material has been found to be unlawfully pornographic, whether or not it is intended to be art is irrelevant,” he said.
I have been following this for the last week. there is a lot of information out there and I have not nearly digested it all yet. there are serious, far reaching implications for artists in NSW and in the rest of Australia. this extends not only to visual artists but to authors, directors, anyone. and the terms are broad enough that they could be inferred to apply to anyone or any work involving children. The working party will be judge and jury in this case.
The working party, headed by District Court judge Peter Berman, also examined the use of photographs depicting nudity in a news context.
Mr Hatzistergos said the new laws would ensure the rights of photographers to publish pictures – such as the iconic Vietnam war photograph of a nine-year-old girl running naked on a street after being burned by napalm – would not be infringed.
They openly acknowledge that this piece, although it contains a nude child, is not sexualized or pornographic. however, will the same generous liberties be extended to artists creating works now? the knee jerk reactions so far seem to indicate that all nude children are porn until proved otherwise. I have been reading the new proposed legislation in depth and the powers granted to the “working party” are enormous. I will provide my analysis as soon as possible, I think there are ways for legitimate artists to avoid self-censoring too much. but the fact that we may have to at all is a crying shame
Tunick’s nude opera house installation
‘The Base’ in Sydney on 1st March 2010 as part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi GrasSpencer Tunick, an artist renowned for photographing large groups of naked people in public, has picked the iconic landmark as the backdrop to his latest project.
On March 1st, hundreds of people will strip off and take their places on the steps of the Opera House for the art work, which has been commissioned by the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras as part of its 2010 celebrations.
Titled “The Base”, participants will be asked to strike a selection of poses to make several different installations.
Tunick told the Sydney Morning Herald that he is excited that permission for his latest work has been granted.
“I like to work with the body in a non-sexual way in public space. I think it breaks down a lot of barriers in society and for myself as well,” he added.
As usual I can’t make it to this spencer tunick installation either, which is a huge shame as I support Tunick’s work and the thoughts behind this installation – at 12 days from B-day I will be way too gravid to make the trip- let alone strike poses!. however, if you would like to sign up and be a part of it go here – http://www.mardigras.org.au/tunick/
Tunick says he has been a lifelong advocate of gay rights. “We’re going through a lot of issues right now in the United States with gay marriage, rights for partners and gays in the military,” he says.
“And I feel that if I can do something that combines the gay community and the straight community in an artwork that’s about the human form, about breaking it down to the equality of flesh to flesh, it will have a profound impact on the participants and, possibly, the viewer.”
Though it is frequently misunderstood, Tunick’s art is hardly a concession to the raincoat brigade. Nudes are his medium, the way some artists use pebbles, glass, clay or stone.
I hope that the current censorship issues in NSW do not get in Tunick’s way with this installation!
Stalin’s Secret Defaced Nudes
A nude drawing autographed and defaced by Joseph Stalin
MOSCOW — An unprecedented exhibition opened in Moscow Friday of nude prints with scrawled comments apparently written by former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin that make ribald references to his party comrades.
Titled “Messages from the Great Leader: Stalin’s Autographs,” the week-long exhibition shows prints of 19th- and 20th-century art works that Stalin is said to have defaced with messages in coloured pencil.
“Ginger b..(expletive) Radek, if he hadn’t p..(expletive) against the wind, if he hadn’t been angry, he would be alive,” he wrote across the leg of a weighty male nude.
The macabre comment was an apparent reference to Karl Radek, the former head of the international communist organisation, the Comintern, believed to have been shot dead by Stalin’s secret police in 1939.
[From AFP: Exhibition reveals Stalin's 'nude drawings hobby']
Should I be concerned about the predilection for nudes that dictators seems to have? or that so many have artistic bents to them? I think that there is something in artists, a need to control, that we express through our art. we create our worlds, we own them, they are formed exactly how we want them to be and we become passionate about controlling the precise aspects of them. for some, perhaps, art wasn’t enough.
I find it interesting that both Stalin and Hitler were both very talented. I can’t help but wonder what might have happened if they had thrown themselves more into their art instead of tyranny. but perhaps, again, artists tend to walk a fine line between insanity and reality. perhaps one too many rejections sent them over the edge.
More disturbing to me about this exhibition are the comments, they show the mind of a sociopath. added 30 years after the works were created you have to wonder what was going through his mind. there is an implication in the comments, also, that often the models were well known to Stalin. was this a nude of Radek?
Some reports on the exhibition have suggested that Stalin had homosexual leanings, as most of the drawings are of nude men, and the commentator twice makes jokes about masturbation.
“Stalin and naked guys: what was between them?” a story was headlined in daily Komsomolskaya Pravda.
“We specially showed these works to psychologists. They didn’t find any expressions of homosexuality, although this material of course does prompt you to have this thought,” Turshatov said.
Personally I don’t see them that way, or think it’s important whether Stalin was homosexual or not. what I do see are the puerile nature of the comments which lead me to think that he had a very juvenile turn of mind.
I’ve written previously on the subject of whether the acts of the artist should count when viewing the work. I think in this example the acts of the artist has to count because he has made it part of the art. by defacing his own pieces with comments he brings his acts to the forefront of people’s minds. it is impossible to divorce Joseph Stalin the dictator from Joseph Stalin the artist in this case.
Child porn debate rears it’s head in ottawa
Sarah Hatton’s controversial painting
“Each person does figure out for themselves what they think the intent is,” she says, “and some are going to see that it’s negative and others will see it as I see it, which is an innocent observation of what I see every day as a mother.”
I’ve shown the digital scans of the images to various people and seen very distinct reactions. Another gallery owner saw the images as provocation for its own sake, and exploitive of the child.
A man with university-age daughters of his own was not troubled by the images, but wondered if we have “lost the innocence” that would allow us to behold paintings of a nude child and not feel uncomfortable. A middle-aged woman found the images disturbing, and felt that one pose had been “eroticized.”
And then there’s the provocative question that one veteran figure in the Ottawa arts community put to me in an e-mail: “Bishops lose their jobs for looking at pictures of naked children: Should artists be allowed to paint them?”
I am not going to enter into all my previous debates yet again, I think everything I can say has been said on the subject already. I do, however, find this article very interesting. it’s carefully written and worded to provide all sides of the debate and works hard to remain unbiased- even clinical. it raises some very well thought out questions and doesn’t seek to answer them.
I don’t know the works of the artist in question or the story behind the exhibition, so I am not going to comment on the artist’s personal ethics or how the works appear to me. there is a feeling, however, to her comments which make me wonder if this exhibition is a deliberate attempt to utilize such a controversial topic. whether to raise awareness of the issues, to bring the debate about and (hopefully) some kind of answer or definition or just to bring more people into the gallery I couldn’t say. it could be all three, or just, as the artist says, “an innocent observation of what I see every day as a mother.”
I do agree with the man above who is concerned that we have “lost our innocence.” I mourn that we have to analyze everything like this, that they cannot be taken at face value. I think that our fears and constant debate belittle the notion of innocence and our appreciation of the simple beauties in life.
nude brooke shields photograph replaced
Richard Prince, Spiritual America IV, 2005 -Via Eloge de l’Art par Alain Truong
The controversial nude photo of Brooke Shields has now been replaced by a later version and will go on show from today, according to Tate Modern.
The ‘photograph of a photograph’, by artist Richard Prince, was removed from the show -following police advice – before it opened on 1 October.
In a statement, Tate Modern said this afternoon: ‘In consultation with the artist, Richard Prince, Tate has replaced Spiritual America 1983 with a later version of the work made by him in collaboration with Brooke Shields, Spiritual America IV 2005. The room reopens to the public on Tuesday 13 October.’
This is a fairly elegant way around the problem at hand – it fits with the theme of the exhibition and was made in full cooperation with Brooke Shields. it’s also an original work by Prince, rather than a photograph of a photograph. It does not have the same depth as the previous work, however one cannot deny that legally it is a much safer work for many reasons.
Gary Gross, the taker of the original photograph was disappointed that it was removed from the Tate – I guess because out of all of the names in this mess his was the only one that really needed and received publicity.
How Brooke Shields differs from Bill Henson
Bill Henson and Richard Prince Comparison
Comparisons are already being made and lines are already being drawn between the Brooke Shields photograph at the Tate and the Bill Henson debacle last year. conservatives and media alike will be debating the differences are between the different cases and trying to make them both fit the same mould. Many readers here will remember my extensive and vehement coverage of the Henson controversy last year. Some may even be wondering at my stance on this one when I defended Henson so ardently last year.
There are many reasons why these two cases are so very different. nevertheless the gauntlet will be thrown and the aspersions will be cast so I would like to present my reasons why these two cases are so very very different.
Informed Consent
Bill Henson works closely with the model and their families. everything is legal, carefully planned and structured around the needs of the model. The model and families are educated in his processes and are fully aware of the situaton. The model in the photograph at the center of the controversy last year was interviewed and mentioned how she discussed it carefully with her family and friends, she considered all sides and weighed up how she would feel about it later down the track. her consent was critical to the creation of the artwork.
Gary Gross obtained the rights to photograph Brooke Shields and distribute the photograph from her mother. Judging by the legal battles and Brooke’s attempts to win back the rights and retrieve the negatives she was not involved in the consent process at all. she was probably not informed of her options or about the distribution rights. The photograph that was going to be displayed at the Tate is a different situation. the rights were purchased from Gross by Prince. there is no record (that I can find) of Shields consenting to the exchange of rights or the revisioning of the original. I would be very interested to hear about her level of involvement and her feelings about the Prince version and of the rights exchange.
Sexualization
The artworks in the controversial series by Bill Henson were seized because it was believed they were pornographic. the Classifications bureau ruled that only one warranted as much as a PG rating. These artworks are not sexualized images of minors. The original Gross photograph is very sexualized. Brooke has been made up and oiled to look like a tiny porn star. her pose is suggestive and I believe the intent of the work was to titillate and arouse. this is a sexualized image of a minor. if you are in doubt imagine an adult in the same situations, poses and lighting. The Prince photograph Spiritual America is in-between. it is sexualized but appears to condemn, rather than laud, the fact.
Context
In this situation context is key. The Bill Henson artworks were displayed as a series in a solo exhibition. There were no other works to detract from the central display and message of the artworks. The original Gross photograph was paid for by playboy and published in playboy subsidiaries. Spiritual America was to be presented in a private room in an exhibition that had several suggestive and explicit images. Penetration, porn and more were presented in the same exhibition. this establishes a mindset and a context to the work. If the piece had been displayed in a series of photographs of celebrities or in an exhibiton condemning child prostitution and pornography then the context would have shifted. it would have been seen in a different light (although still contentious – it’s a very difficult piece)
Artistry
This may be pure bias, but I believe it needs to be pointed out. one is a photograph of somebody elses work. it is a revision, not a complete original. it has elevated the original and added an emotional quality however the artisty in Bill Henson’s artworks is undeniable. from composition to lighting Bill Henson’s work is original, well crafted and achingly beautiful. the two are not comparable images.
Brooke Shields nude removed from tate
The image forms part of a new exhibition called Pop Life: Art in a Material World which was due to open today [Thursday] and which aims to explore the relationship between commercial and artistic images.
The Tate consulted lawyers before hanging the picture which has not been seen in Britain although it has been shown in New York where it attracted little attention. There it formed part of a retrospective of Prince’s work at the Guggenheim Museum.
The Tate confirmed it has temporarily withdrawn the picture. Like the Henson case which was sparked by media complaints about the show, it is understood that London police visited the gallery after reading media coverage and previews of the upcoming exhibition in London’s newspapers.
[From British gallery removes nude Brooke Shields work - Arts - Entertainment]
When this started yesterday I knew that the comparisons would be drawn, that aspersions would be cast. I believe that the Tate has done everything correctly in this matter, with the initial legal consultation and the full police cooperation. I don’t know if withdrawing it was the right thing to do necessarily, however I do believe that the context in which it was presented was one that would necessarily cast the work in an even more contentious light. The concept of the exhibition is interesting, but the prevalence of explicit imagery and this piece presented in it’s own private room was, perhaps, inviting trouble.
However I know that many will be asking me here and asking the organizers over there – How does this case differ from the Henson case?
I was going to wait on this post until tomorrow but it appears now is the time- stay tuned.
Is the Brooke Shields Nude Art?
Spiritual America – Richard Prince (detail)
Prince described Shields’ appearance in the photograph as “a body with two different sexes, maybe more, and a head that looks like it’s got a different birthday”.
Children’s campaigners reacted with dismay to the exhibition. Michele Elliott, founder of Kidscape, said: “Brooke Shields was 10 years old when this picture was taken. She could not have given informed consent to it being used. It must be bordering on child pornography. It is certainly not art.
“If you are using a picture of a naked child to bring people to your exhibition, then you are exploiting that child. It’s as if they are using a 10-year-old girl for bait. I find it disturbing and they should be ashamed of themselves. And putting the picture in a room with a warning outside really is a magnet for paedophiles.”[From Brooke Shields nude photograph causes controversy at Tate exhibition - Telegraph]
I wanted to separate the post about the story itself from my opinion of the works and the situation because I don’t want the two getting clouded. plus it was already a very long post.
I think that to appreciate the Prince artwork it helps to know the story of the Gross artwork. My first reaction upon seeing the Prince artwork was sadness and creepiness. Then I saw the original. I am not publishing the original on this page in it’s entirety. I believe that this work is very sexualized and very inappropriate. as I dug further into the history of the piece I was further horrified by Shields’ mother selling her daughter and the rights to the works like that. the implication is that Brooke Shields had no say in the creation of the works- something that is backed up by the law suit a few years later. It is worse that the photographer and the magazines were affiliated with playboy.
Learning all this, I then took another look at the Prince re-interpretation. I was struck again by the sadness. this time, the work appeared to be a truthful look at a horrible reality. it seemed to condemn the original and emphasize the seedy setting. while the Gross photograph seemed to celebrate the sexualization of minors and child pornography this piece now seemed to condemn it.
do I find it uncomfortable? yes. it’s a difficult piece. it’s made more difficult by a further moral qualm I have – something that has little to do with the subject matter.
Prince made his career doing just what he did here, purchasing the rights to a work, photographing it and re-interpreting it somehow. the original photoshopping. I understand that legally everything Prince has done is correct. but the concept, to me, seems wrong. especially in the light of the legal battles which denied Brooke Shields the rights to the pieces. this artist was able to buy the works and bring them back out for the world to see.
So, the question on everyone’s lips is ‘is it art?’ the answer is a definite I don’t know. I have problems with the original, with the way the original was obtained and the way the re-interpretation was created. I have moral objections to the content matter and to the method of production. This piece however does create an emotional response. that is one of my criteria for art. It took the original and raised it to another level, but to be honest, the only direction the origional could go was up. the Gross photograph is definitely not art – I believe it was created with titillation and arousal as it’s objective and that makes it pornography in my books. the Prince version… I don’t know. what do you think? is it art?
(for the original story about this piece, the exhibition and to see the artworks in question please see my previous post – nude brooke shields at the tate causing furor)
nude brooke shields at the tate causing furor
Spiritual America by Richard Prince
Richard Prince’s image of Shields shows her from the knees up, naked, oiled and wearing make-up, looking directly at the viewer. It is hung in a special room at the south London gallery with a notice on the door warning visitors they may find the image “challenging”.
Prince himself described the 1983 work, which is in fact a photograph of a photograph taken by another artist, Gary Gross, as “an extremely complicated photo of a naked girl who looks like a boy made up to look like a woman”. The picture was originally shown anonymously in a disused shop in a run-down area of New York, and the Tate show is believed to be the work’s first appearance in a UK gallery.
[From Gallery to display nude picture of 10-year-old girl | IOL]
This controversy is a bit different, it’s a challenging subject with an interesting legal history.
the original Gary Gross photograph is a very sexualized image appearing in a very sexualized context. It was arranged by Shield’s mother and was published widely in magazines
Brooke Shields posed for him both as a normal young girl and in the nude, her body heavily made up and oiled, receiving a fee of $450 from Playboy Press, Gross’s partner in the project. Her mother signed a contract giving Gross full rights to exploit the images of her daughter. The series was first published in Little Women, and then in Sugar and Spice, a Playboy Press publication. Large prints were also exhibited by Charles Jourdan on 5th Avenue in New York.
Brooke Shields tried unsuccessfully to get the negatives back when she was 16. Embarrassed by the photographs, she attempted to contest the rights that her mother had given to Gross for the distribution of the photographs.
11 years after the legal battle started, artist Richard Prince purchased the rights to the photographs from Gross. Prince is well known for his reinvention of other artist’s photographs by photographing the originals and changing their feeling. the re-interpreted work is darker, more ominous and seedier- but somehow does change the original image. is it still sexualized? yes, but this time it doesn’t appear to celebrate the fact. the Tate is correct, it is a very challenging piece. it’s uncomfortable and disturbing. but I find the original more so.
The context that the piece is presented in also changes the perception of it. The exhibition Pop Life: Art In A Material World opens at the Tate modern in London on October 1 and runs through to January. there are a number of sexually explicit works from many different artists, making this a very contentious exhibition all up. strangely nobody is talking about the images of penetration or works created from porn. I think it is brave of the Tate to put on an exhibition of this nature and I will be interested to hear more as it opens.
Jack Bankowsky, the exhibition’s co-curator, said he hoped the artistic interest in ‘Spiritual America’ would not be overshadowed by controversy over its content.
“I hope that people respond to what is provocative and understand what the artist was trying to achieve,” he said. “If it turned into that kind of brouhaha it would overwhelm the work and become a monosyllabic conversation.”Prince wanted the viewer to respond to the “eerieness” of Gross’ original image, Mr Bankowsky said.
A spokesman for the Tate said they had given careful consideration to the work and the reaction it could provoke before including it in the exhibition.
“As with any artwork that contains challenging imagery, Tate has sought legal advice and evaluated the situation,” the spokesman said. “Tate has taken measures to inform visitors of the nature of the work, providing information outlining the intentions of the artist. “This is an important work by Richard Prince which has been publicly exhibited on a number of occasions, most recently in Richard Prince’s major retrospective, Spiritual America, at the Guggenheim in New York.”
[From Gallery to display nude picture of 10-year-old girl | IOL]
I want to go into my personal opinions about the work more in a later post.
Nude of the Week – Expecting
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
I painted this a couple of months ago, just after I saw those two little lines for the first time. I’ve been waiting, like most people these days, until I hit the second and less risky trimester to tell people online. This is the last, good thing I have painted since I became blocked. I think that the extra work involved in creating a baby has drained my creative reserves. I found it hard to stand at my easel as waves of dizziness and nausea washed over me. this has not been an easy process so far, but I am hoping that my work will pick up now that I am beginning to feel better.
Bio Drive
So I’ve been thinking that my biography is a bit boring, a bit old and a lot dated – in short, I am over it. so I’ve been working today on writing up a new formal biography and a less formal “about” for my websites and stuff. I’d love your input, I’m really terrible at writing about myself (which is why my personal blog is crammed full of stuff about art censorship really). these are still works in progress obviously 
The Formal Bio- These have a format and need to be a narrative of your CV in a few paragraphs, you need to talk about your accomplishments, education and introduce your artwork. it’s 3rd person and a bit of a yawn fest to write. and probably to read.
The human body has held constant fascination for Jennie Rosenbaum, partially due to her studies in art history and anatomy, and partially due to her own relationship with her body, both in image and after a car accident that left her with a chronic pain disability.
Jennie has exhibited her artworks worldwide. Her art has been shown at Miami Art Basel, at numerous Melbourne galleries, in New York and Boston. Jennie has donated works to support bushfire victims and VisualAIDs. Jennie’s artwork has gained rapid popularity online winning awards at barebrush.com a site dedicated to nude art.
Jennie works to maintain the image of the nude in art and writes a blog about censorship in art. She also leads nude advocacy groups and a group online for people with disabilities.
Jennie Rosenbaum excelled in art and art history at school and studied archaeology, painting, drawing and photography at the University of Monash, Curtin and RMIT. She has also worked closely with artist Donald Cameron in his studio and had the opportunity to be part of a specialized life class at the National Gallery of Victoria. Jennie is an American working from her home in Melbourne, Australia.
The informal Bio, about page type thing. this is when I started to run out of steam..
It shouldn’t take being hit by a car to discover your passion in life, but that is precisely what happened with me. In order to quench the pain of my new disability I returned to my first love, painting. Always technically proficient, my works lacked a certain something. But now my new focus allowed me to expand my interest into a new career with a new sense of abandon imbuing my artworks and a new emotional quality that has propelled my vision ahead.
I started studying again, taking classes online from universities like Curtin and RMIT to fill out my prior art education at Monash university. I painted and evolved my signature styles, almost by accident every time. I have worked to get my artwork out online, offline, and into the hands of collectors worldwide. I have exhibited internationally and locally, received awards for my artwork and excellent reviews.
My studio is in my home where I can paint at any time of the day or night. I live with my husband and two cats and rely on my iPod for those late night painting sessions. I also maintain a blog where I write about censorship issues and nude art and maintain nude advocacy groups. It is one of my missions to help change attitudes about the nude in art.
strangely I found it quite a depressing experience, I’m supposed to list my achievements and really I thought by now I would have more. perhaps it’s just me and my changing goalposts, my unrealistic expectations of my career and where I want it to be, but I want more dammit!
Fertility God’s penis brought to light
They hid the phallus of Priapus. It’s what we call adjustment for modesty, and it’s not uncommon,” said Regina Pinto Moreira, quoted in Tuesday’s edition of the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.
She suspects the cover-up was made in conservative Catholic Spain in the 18th century.
Ms Moreira, who worked as an master art restorer at the Louvre in Paris for some 30 years, spent eight months alongside two French experts restoring Poussin’s large 1634-1638 painting Hymenaios Disguised As A Woman During An Offering To Priapus.
The 3.71-metre by 1.66-metre artwork depicts Hymenaios, the Greek god of marriage ceremonies, dressed as a woman and dancing with Priapus, who was traditionally depicted with an erect penis.
The painting however once belonged to the Spanish royal family, and Ms Moreira says she thinks this was when the post-production modesty came in.
Censorship is nothing new! but to actually change a masterpiece, well, it pains me to say it but it appears we have made some progress in the last few centuries towards better acceptance of the nude. I am glad to see that the artist’s original vision has come to light finally, it’s about time! by the way, you really have to look to find the offending phallus, it’s actually not that big a deal- you can see it clearly in the detail above but when you look at the full image, well, it does lose it’s importance in the grand scheme of things.
The complete and censored version. the censoring was not particularly well executed, there is a clear shadow that doesn’t quite seem to fit. as always click on the images to enlarge.
Priapus was the ancient greek god of fertility and Hymenaios the god of marriages.
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