benjamin

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...rts_monkeys_dc



by Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A portrait of President Bush (news - web sites) using monkeys to form his image led to the closure of a New York art exhibition over the weekend and anguished protests on Monday over freedom of expression.

"Bush Monkeys," a small acrylic on canvas by Chris Savido, created the stir at the Chelsea Market public space, leading the market's managers to close down the 60-piece show that was scheduled to stay up for the next month.

The show featured art from the upcoming issue of Animal Magazine, a quarterly publication featuring emerging artists.

"We had tons of people, like more than 2,000 people show up for the opening on Thursday night," said show organizer Bucky Turco. "Then this manager saw the piece and the guy just kind of flipped out. 'The show is over. Get this work down or I'm gonna arrest you,' he said. It's been kind of wild."

Turco took the show down on Saturday and moved the art work to his small downtown Animal Gallery. Calls to the management of Chelsea Market for comment were not returned.

From afar, the painting offers a likeness of Bush, but when you get closer you see the image is made up of chimpanzees or monkeys swimming in a marsh.

Savido, 23, said he was surprised by the strong reaction to his painting, listed in the catalog at $3,500.

"It seems like people got a kick out of it," Savido said. "When they really see it, they almost do a double-take. I like to get a reaction from people."

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-bred artist said he was happy for all the attention paid to his work but said the decision to shutter the exhibit was "a blatant act of censorship."

Savido plans to auction the painting and donate proceeds to an organization dedicated to freedom of expression.

"This is much deeper than art. This is fundamental American rights, freedom of speech," Savido said. "To see that something like this can happen, especially in a place like New York City is mind boggling and scary."

Tobra

So Benjamin, you reporting the news without comment now? I personally think it is pretty messed up that the manager reacted like that, but if you are designing something to provoke strong responses, you have to figure you might just get a strong negative response from the guy that owns the place. Seems to me if he is charging $3500 for it, it is all about the Benjamins, not freedom of expression

brtecson

$3500 for a piece of work that may have took weeks to do and has stirred national attention is an extremely small purse.

benjamin

I felt that a thread about censorship and freedom of speech would be particularly relevent on this board. Did you get a chance to read the "fuk bush magnet" thread before it was deleted?

Fortunately for the artist, freedom of speech and profit are not mutually exclusive.

rb6teg

I'm sorry....no matter the content.....to hear that something like this happened in NEW YORK CITY.....in CHELSEA.....this makes no sense. Why would a manager like this even be in a neighborhood like that in charge of an art gallery.

Maybe in another city, but NYC....

g2tegls

Whoa whoa whoa. People can't just go around expressing their view through art. C'mon now. :nono:

Nelson

Blown out of proportion by the media yet again.

MPerson

Wow, I'm suprised the manager acted like this. He put his job in jeopardy and could suffer a big loss from this, customer-wise. I don't understand how he could cancel a show based on his feelings about art. Come on people, wake up, it's fvcking art, it's your own perspective on it. Take it as you please.

agent87

I only caught the very beginning of that thread where the original poster was saying he was selling them. What ended up being said and done in that thread?

About the manager's reaction, I don't know what that Chelsea Market public space is like but if it's a regular ol' business, I suppose that they are allowed to choose what kind of artwork they want to display. My old art history teacher has had his paintings removed from galleries before because some people felt the content could make people feel uncomfortable.

About the artwork, creating art that creates a commotion is certainly nothing new. Everyone knows this. Everyone also knows that this often drives up the value of the artwork in question.

benjamin

The thread discussed whether or not the magnet was protected political speech, whether or not the magnet was effective in its message, and a parent's role in explaining the message to their child. I thought we were discussing some pretty interesting stuff when, without warning or explanation, the thread was gone.

I suppose its the very definition of irony to have a thread about freedom of speech deleted because a moderator didn't like the content.