April 13, 2008
January 14, 2008
New Art Blog for Duluth
Ann Klefstad, the Duluth News Tribune Arts & Entertainment reporter, has created a new blog entitled 'Makers' to encourage discussion in our arts community. Check out the Wave article for more information.
The blog can be found at http://www.areavoices.com/makers/
December 23, 2007
tips for artists who want to sell
December 18, 2007
more thoughts?
If anyone has more thoughts on yesterday's dialog or censorship and response to art in general, Joellyn Rock has set up a blog for just those thoughts.
December 07, 2007
Art is dangerous; yes, it can never be chaste, if it's chaste, it's not art.
-Pablo Picasso
December 05, 2007
Child Pornography, Art or Dummy?
"Spiritual America, 1983, Ektacolor photograph, edition of 10, Copyright Richard Prince, Courtesy Richard Prince and Gladstone Gallery
Jesse McBride, 1976. Gelatin-silver print, 20 x 16 inches. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Gift, Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, 1995. 95.4308. © The Estate of Robert Mapplethorpe.
The topmost image is of a young Brooke Shields taken by Richard Prince. Next is a work by Mapplethorpe. Both are well-known and respected artists as well as accused child pornographers.
John Cooper, an English "leading criminal barrister" lays out some factors for deciding whether or not it's art or child porn:
"It's important to look at the circumstances surrounding the images. For instance: How old is the child? Have the photos been taken in vulnerable circumstances---in other words was there an element of exploitation involved?
...Another factor could be what kind of photographer took the pictures. If they are known to have a good reputation, then this will be relevant too."
(Taken from Culture Grrl)
We know the artists are well-known, and therefore, not venerable artmakers, not pornographers, but does the public?
December 03, 2007
Display Case Excitement(?)
I find the display in the window between first floor Cina and third floor Humanities to be both offensive and totally inappropriate. I can see no redeeming reason to display a nude child manikin. With child abuse and pornography so rampant in this culture, it is our responsibility as adults and educators to protect, rather than exploit children. (Yes, I know it's a manikin and not real, but what are you representing here?)
I waited a few days before writing this, hoping that the manikin would be draped; apparently it's not happening. I want to emphasize that it is not the nudity that I find offensive - display all of the nude ADULTS you like - but please remove or clothe the child."
The above letter was sent as a response to the above display case. So, the question is, do you find the above offensive? Due to a different concern regarding safety, Art Guild had self-"censored" on Friday because it was unable to finish the display case as intended.
Do you find the first case offensive? The response offensive? These historical examples offensive?
December 01, 2007
"We do our crummy little shit, and the culture assigns value to it."
There's an awesome interview with art critic Dave Hickey at The Believer.
Highlights:
DH: Thirty-five thousand MFAs a semester, 90 percent of whom never make another work of art.
SH: And do you think that that kind of system produces—
DH: Almost no one. Idiots with low-grade depression.