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Breitz Lecture Review

Sunday Artist Highlight

Some of the Effects of Pornography

"The word pornography derives from a Greek word meaning writing about prostitutes." Although many use the term for anything artistic or sexual that they deem obscene; however, under law pornography is not obscene. Any obscenity is something that the courts have ruled to be breaking some statute that deals with sexual material. As for the effects of pornography, there is still much to be discovered. However, studies have shown that people tend to react to porn in a manner that is true to their ethical and moral attitudes. People that follow religions that view pornography to be sinful and moral reprehensible usually tend to react negatively to any form of sexual material. People that have a more open outlook on sexuality in general tend to have a more positive reaction. Past moral feelings, it depends on the each individual's personality. A super masculine male that views females as subordinates will generally enjoy footage that shows the man as aggressive and in control of his female counterpart. A male that sees females as his equal will usually steer away from this footage and gravitate toward porn that portrays men and women as consensual in each aspect of the experience. Not to say that the super masculine male is watching films about rape because that makes up the tiniest percentage of pornography, but there is part of the industry that focuses on aggression and occasionally violence. For those that are constantly exposed to pornography tend to have a more calloused, indifferent view. The more we are exposed to anything, the less phased we are by it. There has been a study conducted on whether sexually explicit material promotes violence and aggression within the individual. The study exposed participants to sexual and aggressive material, only aggressive material, and only sexual material. The only material that appeared to promote aggression was just that, the material that contained aggression. Many people believe pornography to be harmful and promote negative morals and attitudes within society. From the reading, it depends mostly on the person's predispositions, such as their morals, their homelife, and their personalities. Many people use pornography as a learning tool, a sexual outlet, or in the case of couples as a way to enhance sexual pleasure.

Davis, Clive. "The Effects of Exposure to Sexually Explicit Material." Annual Review of Sex Research, 1993. Syracuse University. http://www.sexscience.org/publications/index.php?category_id=440&subcategory_id=336

Candice Breitz

Candice Breitz comes from Johannesburg in South Africa. She studied in the U.S. for graduate studies and spoke about how she felt very foreign because of the cultural differences present within the other students. However, through this feeling, she discovered that as a collective entity everyone has been fed a common mainstream pop culture. She found that with this common mean she was able to engage people in a collective manner. She explored how she could speak through pop icons in a curiously universal language. Her interest lies with the relationship with the celebrities that have a public voice versus the public on the other side of the screen that have no voice because neither one can exist without the other. Her first video installation, entitled the Babel series, stemmed from her watching of lots of early MTV music videos. She took these videos and stripped them down to build a vocabulary comprised of very primal sounds that contained the potential to be built into phrases. The individual sounds were played on singular monitors in one room, so that the viewer could pose as the mixing desk, rather than Breitz creating one particular mix that she wants them to hear.

Her next installation grew from her want to use the lowest common denominator. She took classic love songs from various American songstresses, then clipped out all the first person and second person pronouns. She broke the songs down so that the viewer could really project themselves into the installation. Her works act in a way to free the icons so that she can get them to be her involuntary actors. Her next project centers on the archetypal mother and father figure. She plays it as celebrity death match between traditional parenting for the hearts and minds of kids. Her work is such an interesting exploration between the common denominator that exists between international societies. Since American pop culture is the powerhouse throughout the world, there is a language that creates a line culturally between so many nationalities. Breitz has tapped into this phenomenon and is discovering what level we connect to these pop icons. Her work is truly inspiring because she is breaking into a cross-nation discussion that does not have to deal with something serious. Even though it is not serious, it serves as a springboard to communicate with other countries. I respect that she stands behind the fact that she is doing her work in the method that she sees fit, but notices the impact it could have on a multi-national level.

Ryan McGinley

Ryan McGinley was born on October 17, 1977 in Ramsey, NJ. He now is based in New York City. He showcased his works in solo and group exhibitions around the states and all around the world. From Greece, England, and Portugal, his work has traveled nations. He has worked with various celebrities for a shoot of breakthrough actors and actresses. He was the youngest photographer to have a solo show at the Whitney and won the young photographer award from the International Center for Photography in 2007. Each summer, he fills up his Volkswagen Eurobus with young twenty-photographs them in various situations, usually nude. His images have a film feel to them; his colors are one of the strongest aspects of his work. They have an almost polaroid-esque color scheme, which gives his images a very powerful style. Some of his best compositions are the simplest ones of one figure juxtaposed against a huge, expansive background of sand, sky, or whatever. His photographs deal with youth, sexuality, comfort levels, and a sense of joy and adventure.

Artist Website: http://www.ryanmcginley.com/

Gallery: http://www.teamgal.com/

Interview: http://www.airmassive.com/treo/archives/000648.html

Burlesque

Baldwin, Michelle. "Burlesque adn the New Bump-n-Grind." Speck Press, 2004.
http://books.google.com/books?id=d3ISV2YYpcAC&dq=burlesque+and+the+new+bump-n-grind&pg=PP1&ots=ZW6I2mddUO&sig=pn--c9t8aCKCYqJiv0VYX_1eUg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA132
Burlesque is a form of theatrical entertainment that embodies seduction and sexuality. It is a sort of dance that incorporates props and risque clothing. Some view it as derogatory towards women, but most women that do burlesque say that it is empowering and really solidifies their feminine wiles. It is all about tricks, the trompe l'oeil, they have a unique way of distracting the eye and making you look where they want you to look. It originated in the nineteenth century as an over the top ostentatious performance that combines many different elements. Some shows include novelty acts such as fire-breathing, anything that will add another seductive segment to the performance . It has recently reappeared in modern day cabarets with Dita von Teese at the forefront. She brought back the vintage glamor and the hourglass figure. This presents another side of our society's natural infatuation with sexuality. We as a public are naturally curious about sex and this genre of sexuality really toys and teases us.

Terry Richardson

Terry Richardson is known as a fashion photographer who has a knack for breaking his images down to a raw form. He is provocative and compelling, talking his models into doing basically anything he wants. He uses muted colhttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1770635408826050195
Blogger: a. saylor senior portfolio - Create Postors and almost always flash, which give his images a very unique mood. He was born in New York, but raised in Hollywood. He began shooting while he was in a punk rock band in high school. He has made a big name for himself working in campaigns for Belvedere, Gucci, and Miu Miu. He has also worked with many different celbrities such as Mary-Kate Olsen, Victoria Beckham, and Kanye West. His work has showcased all over the world in solo and group shows. He works in multiple mediums and is working on his first feature film.

Artist Website: http://www.terryrichardson.com/

Gallery: http://www.michaelhoppengallery.com/home,mhg,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,michael_hoppen_gallery.html

Interview: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2004/oct/17/photography.art

Promiscuity

Raymond, Eric S. "The Biology of Promiscuity." 2 Aug. 2002.
http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/promiscuity.html

In terms of promiscuity, this article covers the stigma for why males and females even consider straying from their mate. The author breaks it down into a more biological manner, relating it to fertility in females, wishing to expand their gene pool to create a stronger, or better offspring. This means that women may gravitate to someone fitter, more attractive, or wealthier so that she can endow her child with this prowess. However, she stays with her first mate because he is the one that will stay around to take care of her children. As for the male side, men have a lower investment in his offspring, or at least less than their female counterparts. Also, men have an innate want to spread their seed because they are designed to continue the race. For instance, the male sows the seed, while the female ensures that the crops grow. It is not surprising that the female would notice that another's crops prosper more than hers, so she may wish to steal some seeds from the neighboring farm.
My thought process right now is dealing with the sexual nature of various demographics within my environment. I want to discover the practices of different groups and discover why they act the way they do. As of now, my mind has centered on promiscuity, how acceptable it is, what defines it, and how many people feel/are promiscuous. This article begins to break it down on a biologically conditioned level that I want to explore as well.

Sunday Blog 9-7-08 (late)

David LaChapelle, born in 1963, works as a photographer and director in various fields such as advertising, video, fashion, and fine art photography. He attended the North Carolina School of the Arts as well as the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Early in his career, LaChapelle worked for Interview, a job offered to him by Andy Warhol, Rolling Stone, GQ, and Vanity Fair. He works extensively with celebrities portraying them in provocative, surreal settings. His images are incredibly vivid and blur the lines between grotesque and beautiful. LaChapelle works mainly in tableaux form, creating very intricate scenes with multiple models, bright colors, and unique props. He has published multiple photographic books and multiple films, such as Rize, a documentary on krumping and clowning, which are two forms of dance popular in South Central LA.

Review- http://www.newyorkartistseries.com/mambo/content/view/538/60/

Gallery- http://www.tonyshafrazigallery.com/

Artist- http://www.davidlachapelle.com/home.html

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Word Assignment: Sexual