11 posts tagged “artwork”

The topic of censorship has come up for me recently. Let's just say that a nude I did combined with "inappropriate" and the phrase, "families read this publication" happened, and although I knew this would happen I thought, maybe, just maybe they'd be cool. Guess not.

The first time I got one of my nude paintings censored, so to speak, was at Laguna Beach High School when my teacher hung it in the art room. I came back the next day to find a string of toilet paper across the area where the lone nipple was visible. I guess the principle said he didn't want the 9th grade boys to get too "excited". At my high school back in Ann Arbor, they showed my nude pieces quite often, as well as the Ann Arbor Art Association, so this was a new thing for me. After all, the mascot for Laguna Beach HS was the "Artists". Later, I was told it could not be published in the high school year book -- even though my teacher pushed for it -- again it was deemed inappropriate. We had a major meth epidemic at the school, but you can't be showing students a nipple. Totally makes sense, right?

When I moved to Dana Point for my senior year, same problems, different school. My nude works were banned from being shown in the common areas of the school in display cases. They were inappropriate. I found this hilarious, when you consider we had at least 3 teen parents at our school; two girls who were currently knocked up, and the fact I took one of the cheerleaders to buy a pregnency test so she could take it my house without her parents finding out. So yes, representations of titties in oil were to be censored, despite the fact many students CLEARLY knew how bang some genetalia together to make a baby. A gallery in Dana Point also asked me not to show my nudes because "it wasn't Christian", so you know, all those nude works by Renaissance artists must be smut, and that's why religious leaders commissioned their smutty porno peddling asses to decorate their homes and churches. She must have thought I was a real perv then; a 17 year old girl, doing these paintings of naked women? Shocking.

The final straw was when I tried to curate a group show at Artcore in downtown Los Angeles. It was to be me, Tara McPherson, Louie Metz, Staci Lande, and a few others. The woman who ran the gallery didn't want nudity. A downtown Los Angeles gallery, not wanting nudity? The board members tried to reason with her, but it was no use. This was on top of many other conditions she decided to set. That show didn't happen, obviously.

So it was weird to me, all these galleries in Laguna Beach and even Los Angeles refusing to show nudes, because they were inappropriate and indecent; and yet the people who set out these rules loved works by Botticelli and Micelangelo. I started drawing nudes when I was eleven years old! So what does that mean? I grew up with nude artwork in our home, and no, it didn't turn me into a deviant or make me full of love for Satan.

I know the MySpace police take down any artwork with nipples showing. That's insane. I'm curious to know how other people have had their work censored? Was it a gallery, print publication, or something else?

For almost a year I had this painting marked as "sold", mainly because the gallery told me they sold it. Makes sense right?

What they meant to say, and that I have discovered this afternoon, was in fact this piece with a similar name had sold. So, you know, anyone who had in the past inquired about the purple haired Alexia de Luc can now know she is back on the market if they want to snag her.

Another baby painting, 5x7 inches oil on panel...

I've been in a pink-haired phase lately, I don't know why. When I was a little girl I hated the color pink -- hated it. I'd look at the color pink and just think "Pepto Bismol" in my head, or just plain "puke!" But now, I could totally live with a pink interior or something like this and not be bothered.

is the Hope freakin' Diamond. It has traveled across North America twice, been lost in customs, been in quite a few gallerists hands, and had 2 separate waiting lists at one time or another. Despite all of this, something happens where it never actually gets sold. The buyers punk out, people have tried to steal it, I've had galleries want to display it when it is on hold -- and when that hold is no longer -- an opportunity has been missed yet again. The whole thing is driving me nuts. Maybe I should just keep it for myself at this point? Maybe I should hike the price even more?

I'm very excited that the new volume of Eye Candy From Strangers brought to you by Brand Studio Press is going to be in stores in a few weeks! I have some portraits included, as well as a ton of other awesome artists. Here is the cover art by Sergio Melero...

I've also finished my painting for the All Things Cleveland show; you can view a crappy photo and statement about it here. Other than that, I'm working on new stuff for the show in May @ Artchitecture Gallery, and busily packaging paintings while tramping through a sea of bubble wrap. I think I must be in an alternate universe; I have sold a ridiculous amount of paintings since late August, and can't figure out how it can be in these times when I read stuff like this and the fact people are getting laid off at galleries and print shops. Hey, I'm not complaining, just very happy and extremely weirded out!

So we're scrambling to help husband find a new place of employment, otherwise we have to move! It isn't that there aren't jobs in Cleveland, it is just that he has, you know, standards. It also doesn't help I was just rejected for a summer art teaching gig without even an interview, something that shocked not only me (because my oil painting class was going to be friggin' awesome!), but all my peers who teach in the arts themselves. They know me and my experience; it is actually very sweet that they are just as outraged about it as I am. So, I may try and go elsewhere with that. Laying out a 6 week curriculum gave me a little more confidence about it and now I actually want to teach again after almost 10 years.

After watching Simon Schama's program for the second time about Bernini and Caravaggio, I feel totally inadequate in every way, on top of just overall lazy.

I've officially lost 27 pounds since September of last year. About frickin' time! That's what I get for working in an office that had free food all the time and sitting on my butt all day. I promptly lost the last ten pounds after seeing photos of myself at my Asterisk Gallery opening -- gah! I somehow lost weight over Thanksgiving as well, which is kinda weird in itself since most people gain weight. Maybe I got a case of tape worm? Thank you tape worm, you rock!

Other than that my new favorite art related blog is Space Sick out of Toledo. He's funny, can draw real well, and he has that special love for all the 1980s cheese I grew up with.

So my usual "save some endangered art" Monday is a little different today. This week I'm offering a variety of prints from my punk/goth/Elizabethan/mannerist series for $3.00 a pop. And since I have 3 of each image available, you can grab more than one if you want, so they don't get lonely. These were a test run of prints from a while back, the image size is only 7 inches high on 8.5x11 inch paper, and the actual paintings have changed a bit since these were made -- I have a habit of going back and "adjusting" my artwork. Guess that sorta makes them collector items, right?

For the cheapskates out there, this week it is $3 instead of $1 for a variety of reasons: these are heavy stock glossy prints that come all fancy in a plastic pouch, hence they cost more to mail, but mostly because stamps and envelopes cost this girl money if you can feel me. But hey, it is still cheaper than a large coffee concoction at Starbucks.

So hit me up as to your choice(s): arabella@elephantstonerecords.com
Thanks everyone!

My newest gal. I don't know what happened, but layers of different pink colors just kept getting laid down until it became outrageous...

Lady Delphine of Dogole (1596 - unknown )
Charming, delicate and imaginative, she was described by her brother, a prominent Earl, as the richest and stupidest girl to ever hail from Dogole. When the nuns gave up on her convent education and sent her home, she stopped in a port town to shop and see the 'pretty ships'. It was there that she met a pirate captain; not realizing she had been kidnapped she then married him at sea and unwittingly, funded his crew for years after being told they were freedom fighters. After the death of her husband, she gained control of his fleet only to lose it in a South Pacific storm during her expedition to find Candy Apple Island. It is believed the sea chanty 'Ditzy Dame of Dogole' was inspired by her.

I've also added the short biographies finally to the newer portraits on my website a while back: www.ArabellaProffer.com family trees and all that will come eventually...eventually.