Is this really art?
May 22, 2008Just read this rather disturbing story in today’s paper. As I’ve said before, there’s art and then there’s attention seeking. I love a beautifully-painted landscape. Or a well-drawn portrait. But I’ve come to realise that a work of art can be beautifully done, yet still be ethically and morally questionable.
In my uninformed opinion, art such as this does border (if not skitter over the edge) into child pornography. I mean, if Bill Hansen was such a great artist, why didn’t he paint pictures of the children with their clothes on?
That is art. It’s not pornography at all. You should watch some porn. It’s not just about context - Bill was trying to show the fragility of young girls. Never mind they are naked. If they were 3 years older and in a Bikini on top of a V8 people would be fucking cheering. Here we have some honestly about young girls - it’s not dothery in her maid’s dress, it’s a young girl. Just htink of all the bullshit that will be thrown at her by advertising, culture, the stereotypes. In a few years, maybe now even, we will be ASSUMED to have posed FAR more provokotively on myspace or for friends photographs.
Just my 2c. I don’t support that sort of art, but I understand where it might be coming from. I’m not into the art crowd or anything. But I can’t stand hypocrisy on this issue.
Comment by Me again lol — June 18, 2008 @ 10:21 am
I understand your point of view. I actually wrote that posting before reading an article by Germaine Greer. She made the point that many classic artists painted portraits of underage boys and girls and weren’t hung for it. Looking back on it, I would’ve preferred a rational debate rather than the jumping-up-and-down we got from the mainstream press.
Comment by spacehamster — June 19, 2008 @ 12:05 am
Yeah, that’s my point of view pretty much. You’ll get people saying how terrible it is, but secretly looking at it later. I know plently of guys that think it’s a non-issue (just wait till she gets afew years older lololol). Sometimes I truly wonder… It’s not just my friends but friends of friends you drink with etc,. A small sample but indicative enough for me. I hate marketing more - it’s like, so pervasive in society, imagine being a girl with all these different images. Robyn has a great song called: “Who’s that girl” all about trying to fit into all the stereotypes men have in their heads and she is like: “nah fuck it, I’ll just do my own thing”. Anyway, it IS art, and art is often a by-product of society but at least it’s saying something and not selling something.
Comment by Me again lol — June 21, 2008 @ 1:37 pm