As Promised...

Here’s the other sketch from last night. Well, my eye feels much better! Damn if my contact wasn’t ripped. My eye doctor must have given me the cheap ass lenses. Wasn’t even a week old! So, I found out I will be on an art panel, Friday, April 18th at 7pm. Wow, someone is actually gonna sit in the same room and listen to the shit that spews out of my mouth. THAT should be an experience! Ok, I can once in a blue moon be someone of an intellectual nature. Let’s just hope that Friday, is one of those moments. If you are reading this and do not live in the 757, you might be wondering what is "he" ranting about. Well my friends, this area is afraid of the nude figure. My fellow local artists, who have incredible talents have all faced the same wall when it comes to showing nudes in local exhibits. It’s a conservative military locale, with one added bonus. We happen to have the notorious Pat Robertson in our backyard. So that makes a lot of views in this area, ultra-conservative. So an exposed breast or penis painted, drawn or sketched is viewed by some to be lewd and a form of misconduct. Yet, in high school art books, museums and church Bibles, there are illustrations that have paintings of naked humans left and right. Now if I drew a pair of figures in the act of sex or masturbating, I could understand a little resentment and the reservation to see my art. I also understand those who don’t dig classic cars with women, guns and smokey bars. That’s cool, if you are going to dismiss me because of the genre, I can accept that. But to dismiss the talents of an artist because of their ability to render the human form as God created us? Well, that my friend is being short sighted and demonstrates a lack of culture. I really don’t mean to offend and come off harsh, but some folks can’t lighten up and see art for what it really is. Take for instance, Andres Serrano’s "Piss Christ". As a Catholic, I could be very upset by this image, however I believe art should stand alone as a individual piece and be open to my own interpretation without an explanation from the artist. To some it’s blasphemous, but I like to look at this work of art as something else, which in someways speaks to me about the struggle for personal faith. "Shock Art" for the sake of pissing and upsetting others isn’t much of a contribution to culture in my eyes. In some instances, it can be hard to distinguish between art and "gimmick". Rushing to judgment, however, only blurs the difference between the two. Ok, that’s my rant and I’m sticking to it. If you happen to make it out to the discussion, I’ll be more than happy to expound more on the topic. ’Nuff said!