« Does this make Jesus gay? | Main | Brit Granny Fends of Porn Request »
June 19, 2006
I've got Milk if You've got Nine Grand
I'm neither a connoisseur nor fan of art generally. I'm the jackass who looks at some abstract stuff and thinks I could have created the same thing as a boy finger-painting in art class. A masterpiece worth a gold star not thousands of dollars like some contemporary works cost. In my family, my sister who's an artist always complains that the rest of us don't get her work.
Once for example, she created an installation for an art show that resembled a café where all the food was sexually suggestive. Tarts with a sexy pair of Barbie doll legs sticking out of them. A piece of cake with a set of muscular guy's arms entitled "beefcake" as well as other sundry takes on sex being used to sell mass consumption of tempting but unnecessary products.
I thought it was clever although I wasn't sure why she was convinced that it was going over anybody's head. Body parts stuffed into pastries isn't the most subtle commentary on exploitation and the objectification of the human body but hey, my sis seems to insist on being misunderstood.
Meanwhile, Bruce Cheadle of the Canadian Press (06/16/06) describes another artist perhaps even less understood than my sister. The Canadian woman's latest creation is entitled "Lactation Station." The pasteurized breast milk of six prescreened donors will be available for sipping as one would a fine vintage in a wine tasting bar starting July 13 at the Ontario College of Art & Design Professional Gallery.
Apparently, the current Conservative minority government of Canada isn't impressed that the Canada Arts Council gave the artist a $9000 CA (just over $8000 US) grant for her idea. However, although funded by taxpayer dollars the Council operates at arms length from government so has carte blanche on its own affairs.
I appreciated that Cheadle made sure to mention that the artist in question, Jess Dobkin is both a lesbian and a single mother, talk about "milking" the anti-conservative details of the project for all they're worth. At any rate, whether Canadian taxpayers get it or not, there's no use crying like babies over spilt milk.
Posted by groundhog at June 19, 2006 11:33 AM