I had an online tiff around three years ago with Kirsten Anderberg. She claimed to be a feminist, human rights activist, law graduate, musician, historian, and writer. She strongly criticized the above painting I did of a naked Marilyn Monroe in high heels (titled "Maria Lina Desnuda"). She said that this painting is obscene because the high-heeled shoes Marilyn wears lend a "porny" feel to the work. I objected, of course- strongly- as did many of my friends who followed our presentation of arguments and rebuttals, and mutual exchange of near-insults and ripostes .
The idea behind this project is this: gallery visitors are invited to affix their signatures, write comments, and draw doodles on the very poster displayed on the gallery wall. This is a no-holds barred exercise. All comments pro and con the image are welcome- they won't be deleted, blurred, or painted over. The only admonition I would make is that no marks, please, should be imprinted on Marilyn's naked figure itself. Overlapping, or writing over the marks made by others is also prohibited. The look I expect this poster to have after being much written on, autographed, and doodled is the look of a collaborative work by Cy Twombly and Alberto Vargas. After the show, this poster will be reproduced in multiple copies, either by giclee or laserprint - or framed and shown in another exhibit, on pop art this time.
Allow me to end by sharing this quotation by Herbert Marcuse, which pretty well sums up my personal philosophy:
"Obscene is not the picture of a naked woman who exposes her pubic hair, but that of a fully-clad general who exposes his medals rewarded in a war of aggression; obscene is not the ritual of the Hippies, but the declaration of a high dignitary of the Church that war is necessary for peace."
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