Russia's culture minister bans photo of kissing policemen
Russia's culture minister, Alexander Sokolov, announced that he is banning a Bansky-inspired photo of two kissing policemen, and 16 other works, from a Paris exhibition of contemporary Russian art.
[Artist Alexander] Shaburov said that he and fellow artist Viacheslav Mizin had created Kissing Policemen as a homage to the celebrated British graffiti artist Banksy. "We were inspired by Banksy's iconic image of two constables kissing. We wanted to do the same but in Russia," Mr Shaburov said.Link (Thanks, Partha!)The image had nothing to do with gay people, he added. Instead, it was an absurdist fantasy about what might happen if everyone showed mercy and tenderness to each other. "Given the fact the state has banned it, we haven't quite reached this point yet," he noted.
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Minor typo: it's "Banksy," not "Bansky."
I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this. The Culture Minister of Russia has a say in what Russians can show at art galleries in France? I suffer from the geographic ignorance common to Americans, but last I was in Europe, the two nations had several sizable countries separating them.
"Customs officers confiscated the montage from a British art dealer last year when he tried to take it to London." Wait, what? So it's legal to have, but not to leave with?
There was a crime committed here: someone paid homage to Banksy, one of the most utterly worthless of artists.
Nice flame bait Bricology, but I believe when it comes to art, the observer is always right. So, how can I complain if your concept of art is not the same as mine?
As for Russian Culture Ministers banning things... he is saying that Russia is not sponsoring this photo, and I guarantee that means if a Russian is in charge of the exhibition, regardless of country, it will be wise for them to adhere to the principals of their homeland, lest the polonium...
cycle23, that wasn't flame-bait, it was I, expressing an informed opinion. I'd be happy to debate his relative merits, if that's what you're looking for.
If "the observer is always right" when it comes to art, then Thomas Kinkade must be the greatest living artist, hmmm? And McDonalds must likewise be the greatest restaurant.
Surely you're not claiming that McDonald's isn't the greatest restaurant??
Obviously homages to Banksy are completely unhip. But slagging on Banksy, now that's what all the cool kids are doing - get with the program, people!
No, no, Lester, it's an informed opinion. And yes, Thomas Kinkade is, in one sense, the greatest living artist, if your measurement is "I think greatest living artist means the one most people purchase". Which is not what I said.
I think the fact that you offered to debate some sort of reasons why you think Banksy is "one of the most utterly worthless of artists" is clearly indicative to me I'd be wasting my time. However, I enjoy wasting time quite a bit. Please, tell me your reasons.
No, no, Lester, it's an informed opinion. And yes, Thomas Kinkade is, in one sense, the greatest living artist, if your measurement is "I think greatest living artist means the one most people purchase". Which is not what I said.
I think the fact that you offered to debate some sort of reasons why you think Banksy is "one of the most utterly worthless of artists" is clearly indicative to me I'd be wasting my time. However, I enjoy wasting time quite a bit. Please, tell me your reasons.
Grr. I didn't submit that twice. Anyhow, I also addressed Lester and then continued as though I was addressing Lester... I meant to make it obvious I was addressing Bricology for the rest of the comment.
cycle23 asked "Please, tell me your reasons."
Here you go:
1. The majority of Banksy's images aren't self-generated, but appropriated. While appropriation has become commonplace among the under 40 set of artists, it's too often indicative of laziness than inspiration. Few things are easier (and more lazy-minded) than to merely enlarge appropriated images the way that Banksy does.
2. Stenciling, such as Banksy uses, is a shortcut not only of time but to mediocrity. A few graffitists can justify its use, such as Swoon. But Banksy doesn't use stencils to exploit a hard edge or allow fine lines, he uses it because it's quick and easy. Quick and easy suggest neither great art, nor a great artist.
3. The vast majority of Banksy's projects are derivative of other artists. He has painted a mustache on the face of a woman on a billboard (Duchamp painted a mustache on the face of a copy of the Mona Lisa almost 90 years ago), he has made a replica of Stonehenge using porta-potties (there have been at least two other art installations that replicated Stonehenge using cars, the most recent of which was 20 years ago), and so on. He's a parasite on other, earlier artists.
4. Banksy's attempts to recontextualize appropriated works and imbue them with anything like sociopolitical immediacy are utterly vapid. For example, he ripped off the famous Vietnam War photograph of the girl whose clothes were burned off by napalm. His "recontextualization" consisted of flanking her with Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald. "Get it? It's a scathing indictment of American imperialism. GET IT? Deep, man!" This sort of "insightful sociopolitical commentary" is purely college freshman-level.
5. Banksy's defacing public and private property helps legitimize the act for other graffitists. San Francisco has many great old buildings and other structures that have been defaced by graffitists, such as the picturesque ruins of the Sutro Baths and a beautiful 1920s brick power station that has been utterly ruined by graffitists. By calling what Banksy does "art", it opens the door to any ass-hat with a spray can to do likewise, in the name of "art".
Need I go on?
Well, at least by attempting to ban this, the Russian folks have ensured they will have a million times more publicity that the artwork would have received, so not the worst situation for the artist.
Some people express their beefs with the direction of the culture using numbered lists.
Others express their beefs using rollers and spraypaint, largely to piss off the ones who express their beefs using numbered lists.
This discussion warms my heart.
Since you so like numbered lists, lolcat, here are a couple of extras:
1. I didn't "express my beef with the direction of "the culture", I expressed my beef with one over-rated artist. The culture (such as the Iraq) is moving along as it will; Banksy is just a cultural cipher.
2. Banksy doesn't "use rollers and spraypaint largely to piss off the ones who express their beliefs using numbered lists", he uses them to inflate his ego (hence the oversized signature he adds to each graffito) and his marketability. After all, he's got lots of self-published books to sell, and prints at $1,500 a pop.
And yet, mouth-to-mouth kissing between men is almost iconical in russian culture - most popular picture being the Soviet leader Brezhnev and East Germany's leader Honecker kissing each other.
More and backgrounder on that here:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1573260,00.html
And post #15 actually gets to the real controversy, with so many photographic examples of russian men (including heads of state) kissing each other on the lips, how is this work considered wrong? because it's for western consumption?
Or is it the hands on each other's arses?
"such as the picturesque ruins of the Sutro Baths"
I like banksy all right for the humour of the finished product, but i totally agree with this. Too many talentless hacks are destroying great scenery.
Theres raw natural rock face at the Sutro ruins, just pure nature being covered in spray paint, its ruining a great place to drink some beer and watch the sun set. (take the bottles with you please)
Graffiti artists are all about using the urban landscape as their canvas, but i think its more valid to leave natural beauty alone.
and on topic, two consenting adults kissing each other is apparently their head of state kissing a five year old he doesn't know on his bare stomach like a perv.
Bricology, you'd have more credibility if you hadn't taken what was essentially the same position in that recent discussion of poetry.
"The observer is always right" doesn't mean that Thomas Kinkade is the greatest living artist. It means that when people report that experiencing a particular work of art gave them pleasure, they're always right. There's no such thing as hallucinatory pleasure or pain.
It's easy to sneer at art for not being good enough. There's not a lot of inarguably perfect art in this world. But there is art that demonstrably moves people's emotions and engages their intellect. That's a good thing right there. Someone who enjoys one work of art is likely to seek out more.
If there's anything that's helped foster our society's alienation from art, it's being told that we're wrong to like some work of art, or that we like it for the wrong reasons. I don't know of many more unproductive things a person can say. It tells us that whatever "good" is in art, it's alien to our own experience.
Now, if you want to talk about the BS ways art is packaged, reviewed, and sold in this country -- whether it's T. Kinkade selling his not-very-limited editions at premium prices, or the complicity of galleries, collectors, museums, and art dealers in prematurely canonizing and monetizing an artificially limited number of designated "artists," I am there.
whoa. my brain shut off on that last post:
and on topic, two consenting adults kissing each other is apparently [worse than] their head of state kissing a five year old he doesn't know on his bare stomach like a perv.
there... thats better
I find it ironic that the Russians would go to the extent of banning this artwork. Men kiss each other as a customary gesture of greeting and parting in much of eastern Europe. Sokolov's action speaks volumes about Russia's current level of tolerance. Things are really sliding back over there.
#1, I thought "Bansky" was Russian for "ban."
Teresa, Bricology took offense when I poked fun at Rudi Gernreich, and demanded to know if I had a degree in fashion. Then he pulled up two of my LJ icons as proof that I was utterly unqualified to have an opinion on such things. Not just anybody is entitled to react to a work of art, you see.
It's a shame about the Sutro Baths, though. Reminds me of a very well-preserved painted sign for Uneeda Biscuits up in Northampton that some yahoo spray-painted a tag on. Personally, I'd just as soon these "artists" left the urban landscape alone too.
Bet you $1000 bucks that if it were two police women they'd have had no objection. :P
For some reason this picture reminds me of that timeless Arnold Schwarzenegger movie RED HEAT!
Banksy put a picture of a kid with balloons floating over the wall in Jerusalem. What have you done, Bricology? Written numbered lists criticizing the actions of others?
Spinach: What's also ironic is that the original graffiti piece that this is based on was also censored by a couple of random homophobic art critics. I have a feeling that the response to this piece is based largely on the growth of the vehemently anti-gay Russian Orthodox church movement, which has also become a menacing presence in the Western United States (so far, one reported gay bashing death).
It's sad that the Soviet Union even used to celebrate men in uniform kissing on their postage stamps:
http://www.englishrussia.com/?p=944
but now...