Art
By Villanelle • Apr 27th, 2007 • Category: BlogIt’s Art.
Art has become my newest obsession. My recent holiday involved the Chicago Art Institute, the New York MoMa and the Global Feminisms show at Brooklyn Museum. It was incredible.
Though I do love works that are focused on sex and bodies, my affinity lies more in subtle sexiness than overt depictions. That is not to say I don’t love Del la Grace Volcano, but that I prefer artists the demonstrate the subtleties of attraction and desire in a way that doesn’t involve leather or piss.
Though the following artists aren’t necessarily focused on sex or sexuality, most of their works are incredibly sexually charged and I think it would be a shame for you, my darling readers, to continue on without knowing about them. Seriously, if you like sexy art – check these people out:
Emily Roysdon
I first came across her work in the journal she puts out with three of her friends, ‘LTTR.’ She puts together performance pieces, makes incredibly films and her photography is stunning. My interest in her work was sparked by our shared interest in artist David Wojnarowicz. Her recreation of his “Rimbaud in New York” series is possibly my favorite contemporary work. The LTTR journal comes out once a year and if you’re lucky enough to be somewhere that has it – I highly recommend picking it up.
Cass Bird
If you’ve ever seen JD Samson’s (of Le Tigre) Lesbian Calendar or Lesbian Utopia Calendar, then you’ve seen her work. If you haven’t, you are seriously missing out. Outside of the calendar, my personal favorite is a photo called “I look Just Like My Daddy (2004),” which is a medium shot of a person wearing a flannel shirt and trucker hat (which features the ‘daddy’ quote). The photo is part of a series of two and in the second photo the same person is featured in the hat, without a shirt on, exposing many tattoos and her breasts. It’s a stunning photo. Bird’s website features a lot of her work and if you want to check out the original “Daddy” print – it’s part of the permanent collection at the Brooklyn Museum.
Tammy Rae Carland
Ever hear the Bikini Kill song, “For Tammy Rae?” Because this is her. She co-owned Mr. Lady Records with Kaia Wilson and her photographs are absolutely beautiful. My personal favorite is the “Lesbian Beds” series. Contrary to what you might expect, they actually are just pictures of beds (different sheets and props) but still, sometimes the absence is what makes the picture. You might also want to check out her series “Evolution of Gender.” Some of her work is featured in the book The Passionate Camera; Queer Bodies of Desire
Cathy Opie
I have to be honest; I’m not the biggest fan of her newest stuff, mostly because cityscapes aren’t my thing. And, with continuing honesty, some of her older work isn’t for everyone. For a while, she specialized in taking photos of trans people and more notably the photos of self mutilation. I love those. “Self Portrait 1993” which features a carving in her back of two stick figure females and house is definitely something that definitely had an effect on me.
http://www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/Opie/Opeindex.html
An oldie but a goodie:
Carolee Schneemann
I have a major crush on Carolee Schneemann. She’s a painter, a photographer and a performance artist that has been creating amazing work since the 60s. Focused on the discourse of the body, her work revolves around the relationship between the body of the artist, the social body and taboo. Two words people: Meat Joy. You’ll just have to look it up yourselves.
I hope this spurns some much needed interest in the arts. If you’ve got anyone you love and think I should lookup, pass it on.
Forever nerdy,
V.
Villanelle >> a cake eater.
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