This afternoon I was interviewed for a documentary about depictions of sex in contemporary art and notions of “decency.”
The fact that I’m massively outside of the mainstream and kinda clueless about decency was reconfirmed. I’ve lived in NYC for the past 8 years, and I’ve worked in sex for the past 6. I live a sheltered life but, you know, different than those Christian home schooled kids. But maybe not that different. I have my version of reality, and I’m sticking with it.
In the interview, and in a few interviews recently, I got asked about the differences between art and porn. And you know what? I’ve spent a bunch of years thinking about that question (um, hello, BA in cultural studies) and I think the answer is irrelevant. It’s all visual culture to me, and I’m really tired of that argument. I’d rather see people getting out there and making stuff, whatever they call it, instead of arguing about words.
That said, I’m going to be curating some (insert preferred nomenclature) shows over the next few months at Arena Studios. The first one, opening on November 9th, is called Modified Eros, and it’s going to be a show of photos of erotic body modifications, featuring images from BellaVendetta.com. The second show opens on February 8th and will feature new work from Molly Crabapple. Yay for naughty pictures!
4:14 pm
YAY for naughty pictures.
I am also entirely sick of the art vs. porn thing.
hopefully we’ll blow that argument ot of the water with the show.
4:33 pm
I wish … unfortunately, I don’t think the argument is leaving us anytime soon, because I think it’s really about who gets to claim a political monopoly on artistic representation. But I agree that there’s really no difference. It’s a propagandistic binary, and like most such things, it’s about words and nothing more. Can’t wait for the shows!
9:47 am
For me, porn is all about a means to an end: getting off. It’s a fine and noble end, but I’ve never pondered the play of shadows on Julie Night’s shoulder blades.
9:44 pm
I hate the argument. It drives me batty. Art is in the eye of the beholder! :)
Yay for naughty pictures! :)
10:32 pm
The big hot button issue in my program is “erotica vs. pornography” because *clearly* pornography is bad. The movies we watch with people fucking (including bend over boyfriend, hearts desire, etc), they’re not REALLY porn, they’re erotica.
No. They’re porn. Many of what people decide to title “erotica” was made as porn, because porn CAN be sex positive, it CAN be ethical, and we don’t need to give it a different name in order for it to be so.
And so much depends on the person asking the question – to me, the line between art and violence (such as in movies, etc), is more often blurred than the line between art and porn.
I’m going to try and make it to NYC for at least one of those shows – please post more info as you know it!