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"Sex
as Visual Art: Because
sex is a basic human drive, sex is a natural subject for
visual arts. In each age in history, art has explored
this theme. In some periods, such as the early Roman
Empire, these themes have been on wide public display as
the art of Pompeii shows. In others, this basic theme
has been forced from public view but has still thrived
as the large quantity of Victorian erotica shows. In the
hands of the artist, sex can still be fresh and
surprising. This still true despite the huge quaintly of
sexual material available in our time.
Since
sex is so charged with individual associations, some are
tempted to believe that sexual content will
automatically be expressive and we have the bad
pornography to prove it in abundance. This material
survives because no matter how badly done it transmits
and arouses some feeling. This operates outside of art
as well. That's why "Fuck!" works as an
expletive in situations where in real sex act would be
more humorous than dramatic. These references abound in
popular culture and form an essential element of
informal language.
Even
the spray painting on the local Metro tunnels can be
expressive. On the Metro line into Washington, DC for a
long time there was a large drawing of a vagina with the
words "Eat Me" over it. You could not say it
wasn't expressive. It might not be art but it clearly
expressed something of the emotional makeup of the spray
painter. This is because each of has our own concept of
sex both open and repressed. Even in our own supposedly
open times sexually repressed feeling provide this
material with extra impact..."
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