Freaky Friday (Same as it Ever Was)

I belong to a community (link in sidebar under "my places"), Butch-Femme, where the artist of this portrait, DaddyRhon, is a founder. I received an email yesterday alerting me to this:

clipped from www.daddyrhon.com

My portrait of a breast cancer survivor was banned and removed from the spring show at the artist collective where my wife and I rent a studio. I was told there was a vote amongst several artists and the painting was deemed “not family friendly”. Of the many other nudes in the show, only my work was censored.

As you can see, this is not erotica. This is a literal figure study of an older woman who has had a mastectomy. I was holding that woman’s hand the day she was told she had cancer.

Why was this piece considered morally offensive? Because the model is not traditionally beautiful? Because reality is too harsh? Or are there implied subtexts to this piece simply because I am an obvious dyke?

This is a travesty. The thought that other so-called "Artists" voted to censor this moving and honest portrait just breaks my heart. Please stop by at DaddyRhon's and leave a comment. Show your support for DaddyRhon, if you find it in your heart to do so and if censorship of art pisses you off even half as much as it does me.

In late 2005 one of my pieces was also banned from a show here at our small Victor Valley Art Museum. I offered several pieces of mixed media sculpture, (one of which took 1st place in mixed media), but the most profound piece; the one I intended/created specifically to make a statement or at least pose a question in the viewer's mind regarding gender, was categorically rejected.

In my case, it was kinda funny really. I have a history in this community. I attended Victor Valley Community College back in the '80's and studied Art under Gene Kleinsmith, instructor and Dept. Chair., who became my mentor. He was a big fish in a little pond, and had a reputation as a rebel (as an artist should)! I was President of the "Clay Club" for awhile, ASB Senator of Arts, and he and I became co-conspirators in defense of art, and against censorship of art and artists within the academic setting of our small desert college.

Occasionally back then, we bashed heads with the other art instructor, Molly Kohlschreiber, who was in some way that I can't quite recall, affiliated with the Victor Valley Art Museum. Happy little ladies painting landscapes and the occasional "southwestern" or imitative Native American styled works. After I left VVC, Gene and I remained close friends and in the early 90's I wasn't surprised to receive clippings of Daily Press articles with photos of church protesters who objected to a display of some incredible hard edge nude studies that was being shown in the campus Performing Arts Center. They were phenomenal paintings, both strong and provocative but definitely not pornographic by any stretch of the intelligent imagination!! Big, 4'x6' canvases of both men and women in all their natural, nude beauty. Anyway, this little trip down memory lane reminds me to write of this later... another story, it seems; my Gene.
So he was censored then, and in 2005 when I began these sculptural mixed media collages and began to ferment the concept for my "GirlyBoi", as I named her I decided to see what the locals were up to now.




So I submitted my 3 pieces. We took them in on a day when there happened to be several members of the High Desert Artists' Association puttering around the lobby. My GirlyBoi (as opposed to the "GirlyBoi) and I barged in (the pieces are heavy) seeking somewhere to hang them. As I filled out paperwork I was aware of shocked looks, shaken heads and whispered voices, which I chose to ignore. There was a lovely 30-something gal there who was simply delighted at the bruhaha, and we had a bit of a chat. We laughed quietly, but I knew the piece was doomed. One of the older women very politely suggested that my sculpture might not be appropriate for the family venue, and that she doubted that the Director (or whatever title by which the crusty musty in charge was known), surely would disallow the piece. I mentioned that as a juried show, the jurors should decide, not an administrator. I was polite and friendly, but I think they feared a fight on their hands.


The very next day I received a phonecall, asking when it would be a good time for me to come pick up the piece. I was told that one of the judges wished to speak with me personally about it. She was charming. She asked me about the piece, expressed her sincere enjoyment of it, wished she could offer me a more "appropriate" venue in which to display it, and sadly informed me that the jurors had decided, primarily at the behest of "Mr. Crusty Musty", that since the local elementary schools, as well as a couple of church groups were scheduled to visit the show, they would have to reject it. She also told me she wished I'd join the Association, because they could use some "new blood" and told me that if somebody didn't do something, the next "Mr. Crusty Musty" would be the same as the current one.



So, what the hell. I came home, posted the pictures of the piece under "Non- Tattoo Art" over at one of my gallery sites, Tattoo Artist's dot Org, and captioned the piece, tongue in cheek, thusly:

This is an interactive, three dimentional mixed media piece entitled GirlyBoi. It is sculptural with collage, and incorporates sensory participation with sound and tactile adventures. My art makes a statement. Like me, hate me...that's okay. Indifference is the true enemy of the Artist.

Poo-Too-Weet?? So it goes. When I was younger, healthier, and not busy taking care of my ol' grammy lady, I prolly would have pitched a bitch and raised some awareness (hell); no matter how nice she was. I fumed a bit. And you can see from the pics I took before removing the sculpture that I wasn't happy. And on the way home I thought about calling the Press...



But in the end, I just didn't have it in me. It's been 20 years since Gene and I fought the good fight. Now he's dead, and I'm... tired?! I suppose. And busy... and... and... and.

And I still detest censorship in any form, and I especially resent censorship of art, but I can write and bitch and hand the battle on to those younger and more able than I. So, go get um!!!

May You Live in Interesting Times

So here I sat yesteday, despondent at the $$ not coming in this week thanks to a client cancellation, and worse; although he's rescheduled for later in the week it seems his financial (read pain) tolerance has dropped from a 4 to 2 hour session. Waaaahhhhh. Yes, I admit, tattoos hurt... but does anybody consider how it hurts my bottom line when you can't Bitch -Up and have some ovaries. Shees!! (I could never say this over on my ink-blog, An Artist's Journey, over there I need to be professional and sensitive (and I am, really!!!), but a grrrllll's gotta blow off steam somewhere, right?? So if I can't poke um, I'll just have to poke fun attum.

My my, what a wonderful two day ride on the blogosphere. First my menopausal meanderings are salved by Nonsensical Ravings of Finely Tuned Insanity and his crew with explanations and lessons in blogging that are indeed much appreciated.

A lighter, but nonetheless valued take on my blog etiquette angst is provided by BlueGal, and then I get further and further ensnared in the whole KS-Hatespeech-Cyberbullying-Mysogeny-he said-she said-Insanity

The longer I spend on the Internet trying to figure out what the "real" story is, (pick a story; any story), the more I am convinced that I'm one of the Lemmings, one of the sheep, one of the rats (You know, the ones that followed the Pied Piper??).

Yeah, that's it; rats. Following after that enticing music, leading me along by my heart, my guts, and only finally - my mind.

The following are excerpts and quotes from comments I have flung willy nilly far and wide on threads that in one way or another related to the KS thing.

Greetings. I'm not directly an part of any of this KS issue; just came upon it at BlogHer, and have been following from link to link to try to get a general idea of the whole story (being the "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me" type).
As I commented on another thread:

There are alot of valid points made in the original post here, as well as by many of the commenters. I myself, have had strong and varying feelings and thoughts on this topic since first catching wind of it.

Here are just a few:

"OMG!! That's taking it too far. This is NOT satire. Noone should be threatened this way."



"KS is so overreacting"



"How irresponsible to link to a hate site"



"Wait, was it a hate site or a juvenile satire site"



"What about free speech?"



"How can people be so hateful toward each other"?



"Who is crying wolf now"?

I could go on, but I suppose what I'm trying in my fumbling way to express is that I am constantly surprised by my own naivetee. I'm repeatedly getting caught up in "Spin". It's difficult to keep the facts straight, especially when we don't really know what the facts are.

Iif there was a death threat made it should be appropriately investigated and adjudicated.



If it's a matter of character assassination it's Civil. (whether against or by KS or both)

Intimidation is a tool of the ignorant, and Trolling and Baiting and Flaming have practically become an Internet institution unto themselves.

I have a delete key and am willing to use it.

That said, I really think that the bloggers and site owners that would abide by your "Code of Conduct", probably already are, for the most part and as they see fit. Although you have made some valuable suggestions, in it's entirety your "Code" is flawed in some of the ways already mentioned, and perhaps in ways as yet unforeseen. As a blogger and a citizen of this so-called "free" country, we are already plagued by legal provisions in the Patriot Act and elsewhere that impinge seriously on our right to express ourselves freely, and guilt by association is again (as in the days of McCarthy, Hitler, and countless others) is a tool of the powers that be.

Will and should we as bloggers attempt to implement a "Code" that amounts to censorship? Or shall we continue to each operate our blogs in the way that meets our own comfort level?
KS is not some 13 year old that has been lured to a remote site by a sexual predator, and she herself, has fallen short of your proposed "Code".

By your "Code" should I be ostracized for posting this,
I Repudiate Fear

publicly, in my personal life journal after having doors in my house kicked in, my grandmother and daughter terrified, and my life directly threatened face to face?

Let's think, people.

Like a rat. It's true. Jumping from emotional response, to opinion, to consideration of logical commentary, and in the end. Lost.
Maybe not. I think I ended up with something like:

Fuck Censorship

yeah....that's it.

Then I started thinking about how all this Internet drama and chasing down sources while trying to get to the "real" story, is just like my search for understanding on everything else; politics, religion, taxes, history, science, life the universe and everything.
It's a paradox. It all makes sense, and none of it makes sense.
(And does any of it really matter in the face of things like the Iraq war and Guantanamo?)
Wooooahhhh. Trippy dudes!!!

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