[Maru]

Originally Posted by Twosugars

While I'm not defending those pieces (don't have a view really) only the cock in NYC was in what you call it dirty area.
Butt plug was in Place Vendome, one of the most prestigious squares in Paris. The copulating duo was meant to be in the courtyard of the Louvre, but the director chickened out at the last moment so it ended up in front of the Pompidou Centre.
The disconcerting detail about the copulators is that it is unclear whether it is man and woman or man and animal.
Re. your idea of placing provocative art in religious spaces, they tend to be very conservative and quite often only public spaces managed by secular authorities like some buildings or squares are willing to take a risk.

Thank you for that. I figured they were street art, but not knowing the areas that well I can't really comment.

I've just never understood shock art in an urban setting where there would normally be graffiti, other murals etc anyway... not exactly "provocative" ...

I don't think all conservative areas would necessarily be closed-minded to displaying sexual symbols though. Judeo-Christian/Western values attempts to cleanse itself of these "vulgarities", whereas Asian cultures are more willing to see the human body outside of its "pornographic" view... art history is full of fertility symbols, etc, that could be re-construed in a more contemporary manner in historical settings. Nudity doesn't particularly bother me though, but I can understand someone asking for warning if they bring their children to an exhibit, etc...

[Kizzy]

I don't see any giant vaginas... Come on isn't there enough patriarchy and inequality without giant penises everywhere? :/

[Jamie89]

Originally Posted by Twosugars

Does it provoke a rethink of taboos or simply provoke disgust?

Probably both. I don't have a problem with it though

[Maru]

The irony would be if it provoked erections

[Twosugars]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I don't see any giant vaginas... Come on isn't there enough patriarchy and inequality without giant penises everywhere? :/

Well, since you mention vaginas, there was this sculpture in France, likened to a vagina, but personally I didn't find it "explicit" so didn't add it to the thread.

In 2015, the artist Anish Kapoor’s Dirty Installation, a vast steel funnel amid broken stone on the lawns of the Château de Versailles – described as “the vagina of the queen” taking power – sparked rightwing complaints and was twice vandalised with antisemitic graffiti.

To me it just looks like a giant trumpet. Unless it's meant to be a vaginal canal, but then any tubular object could be likened to that.

[Jamie89]

Originally Posted by Maru

The irony would be if it provoked erections

Life imitating art

[Twosugars]

Originally Posted by Maru

Thank you for that. I figured they were street art, but not knowing the areas that well I can't really comment.

I've just never understood shock art in an urban setting where there would normally be graffiti, other murals etc anyway... not exactly "provocative" ...

I don't think all conservative areas would necessarily be closed-minded to displaying sexual symbols though. Judeo-Christian/Western values attempts to cleanse itself of these "vulgarities", whereas Asian cultures are more willing to see the human body outside of its "pornographic" view... art history is full of fertility symbols, etc, that could be re-construed in a more contemporary manner in historical settings. Nudity doesn't particularly bother me though, but I can understand someone asking for warning if they bring their children to an exhibit, etc...

Come to think of it, Place Vendome is full of designer boutiques, jewellers and Hotel Ritz. Maybe the giant butt plug is some sort of "up yours" to capitalist consummerism? I'm grasping at straws here, lol.

Re. urban space not being provocative, I see where you're coming from, but maybe it is our western liberal bias that makes us "ok" or immune with profanity in public arena? But people with strict religious views or sexual taboos pound the same streets as we do. I'd imagine that menstruation, sexual imagery in public must be quite a shock and a challenge to Orthodox Muslim, Jew or Christian.

Re. eastern religions, I defer to your knowledge. Although I understand that Hinduism has taken quite a step backwards and their very erotic ancient sculptures are not looked on kindly nowadays.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I don't see any giant vaginas... Come on isn't there enough patriarchy and inequality without giant penises everywhere? :/

[Twosugars]

More "vaginas". There's this in Rzeszow, Poland. It's a communist era 2 world war memorial. The locals call it affectionately Big C*unt.
It's not meant to be erotic, the labia shaped concrete is just unfortunate background to the memorial sculpture in the middle of it.

[user104658]

I like the one in Belgium of the little guy pissing in a fountain or something. I mean, why not.

[Maru]

Originally Posted by Twosugars

Come to think of it, Place Vendome is full of designer boutiques, jewellers and Hotel Ritz. Maybe the giant butt plug is some sort of "up yours" to capitalist consummerism? I'm grasping at straws here, lol.

Re. urban space not being provocative, I see where you're coming from, but maybe it is our western liberal bias that makes us "ok" or immune with profanity in public arena? But people with strict religious views or sexual taboos pound the same streets as we do. I'd imagine that menstruation, sexual imagery in public must be quite a shock and a challenge to Orthodox Muslim, Jew or Christian.

My thought is, if these etchings are meant to stretch open our minds beyond the pornographic/dirty interpretations of these images... I don't think the urban setting facilitates that message all that conveniently. A lot of graffiti in the US are penises, vaginas, etc (I love graffiti)... though in places like downtown here or in Baltimore, you see people put up airbrush of "cool" or "metro art", cute little monsters, etc. It's a way to transform the city to something less depressing. Here they make "eco art" with manmade materials, like scrap metal, old stone, unique landscaping, random rock gardens/koi ponds etc.. that kind of changes the common narrative of urban settings being a dirty/sterile/static place to a setting that feels more organic, full of life, more keen to project a more naturalized philosophy of urban life...

Propping up a penis in the middle of a city on it's own wouldn't do much to change the narrative around sexual symbols in those settings. On the other hand (pun unintended), if it included other references to natural science and brought in a bit more "warmth", then I could see some interesting reinterpretations of that...

The best example I can think of off the top of my head is the art car parade here during the Gay Pride parade. I've seen some crazy reconstructive nudes riding in the back of those...

We also have a local festival called Mardis Gras, which is family friendly in the beginning, but after the parade, women and men start flashing and start giving away the beads... you can buy plastic penises/vagina necklaces during that, even during the family friendly portion but lots of families still take their children... which I guess would be a shock to some there?

Re. eastern religions, I defer to your knowledge. Although I understand that Hinduism has taken quite a step backwards and their very erotic ancient sculptures are not looked on kindly nowadays.

Just as a quick example of those crazy Asians...

Japan’s Kanamara Matsuri: The Penis Festival
https://notesofnomads.com/kanamara-p...estival-japan/

[user104658]

So like... A giant cock with a magnificent eagle perched on top, wings spread proudly, announcing "I am here! I am natural! Accept me!"

And flowers around the testicles, showing that a cock need not be aggressive, but may also be gentle, fluttering in a cool breeze...

[Maru]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

So like... A giant cock with a magnificent eagle perched on top, wings spread proudly, announcing "I am here! I am natural! Accept me!"

And flowers around the testicles, showing that a cock need not be aggressive, but may also be gentle, fluttering in a cool breeze...

It's a penis, not the American flag

[Maru]

Besides "spread eagle" comes to mind with that interpretation... which yes, would indicate acceptance.

[Tom4784]

It's not something I'm bothered about. If it depicted explicit violence or other disturbing things then there'd be a problem but I don't have an issue with body or sexual imagery.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Maru

It's a penis, not the American flag

Potayto potahto...

[waterhog]

art has to push barriers and provoke a reaction to keep it interesting. this examples are not to my taste but I still feel the artist has the right to do them as he or she may have a reason to why they are doing this.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Twosugars

More "vaginas". There's this in Rzeszow, Poland. It's a communist era 2 world war memorial. The locals call it affectionately Big C*unt.
It's not meant to be erotic, the labia shaped concrete is just unfortunate background to the memorial sculpture in the middle of it.

We have a national monument who is a massive **** too, except his actual title is 'Foreign Secretary'

[Kizzy]

Wasn't there a suggestion that great works like the 'Venus De Milo' and 'David' were too lewd?

[Brillopad]

Oh how men love to talk about their bits! It never ceases to amaze me how the mere mention of a willy adds a bundle of non-sensical and pointless posts to a thread.

[Twosugars]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Wasn't there a suggestion that great works like the 'Venus De Milo' and 'David' were too lewd?

True. Here is some examples I found re. David

When the 5.17 meter tall David (called Il Gigante) of Michelangelo was installed in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence in 1504, authorities immediately placed a garland called a ghirlanda made of twenty-eight copper leaves around his waist in order to cover his nakedness.

In 1857, when British queen Victoria first saw the six-meter-tall replica of Michelangelo's statue David in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, she was shocked by the sight of his genitals. A detachable fig leaf was immediately commissioned and kept handy for future royal visits.

most worringly this controversy in Russia happened in 2016!

Residents in St. Petersburg, Russia, will vote on whether or not to censor a 16-foot-tall plastic copy of Michelangelo‘s David, which has become the source of controversy in the city in recent days.
It now stands in front of St. Ann’s Lutheran church as part of the exhibition, “Michelangelo: The Creation of the World,” which also includes animated recreations of the Renaissance master’s Sistine Chapel frescoes, as well as works by Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael to Giotto, Sandro Botticelli, and Titian, according to the exhibition press release.
“How could you put this bloke without any trousers on in the center of St Petersburg, next to a school and a church?” wrote a local women in a letter about the 16-foot statue, quoted by Lenta and translated the by the BBC. “This giant spoils the city’s historic appearance and warps children’s souls.”
“Children are around, looking at this giant nude man. Is that normal?” she added. Although local school director Maksim Pratusevich reportedly insisted his students were “sufficiently cultured and educated” to deal with a little artistic nudity, the matter will still be put to a vote.

[montblanc]

allowed

[Twosugars]

Originally Posted by Maru

My thought is, if these etchings are meant to stretch open our minds beyond the pornographic/dirty interpretations of these images... I don't think the urban setting facilitates that message all that conveniently. A lot of graffiti in the US are penises, vaginas, etc (I love graffiti)... though in places like downtown here or in Baltimore, you see people put up airbrush of "cool" or "metro art", cute little monsters, etc. It's a way to transform the city to something less depressing. Here they make "eco art" with manmade materials, like scrap metal, old stone, unique landscaping, random rock gardens/koi ponds etc.. that kind of changes the common narrative of urban settings being a dirty/sterile/static place to a setting that feels more organic, full of life, more keen to project a more naturalized philosophy of urban life...

Propping up a penis in the middle of a city on it's own wouldn't do much to change the narrative around sexual symbols in those settings. On the other hand (pun unintended), if it included other references to natural science and brought in a bit more "warmth", then I could see some interesting reinterpretations of that...

The best example I can think of off the top of my head is the art car parade here during the Gay Pride parade. I've seen some crazy reconstructive nudes riding in the back of those...

We also have a local festival called Mardis Gras, which is family friendly in the beginning, but after the parade, women and men start flashing and start giving away the beads... you can buy plastic penises/vagina necklaces during that, even during the family friendly portion but lots of families still take their children... which I guess would be a shock to some there?



Just as a quick example of those crazy Asians...

Japan’s Kanamara Matsuri: The Penis Festival
https://notesofnomads.com/kanamara-p...estival-japan/

Thank you for that, Maru.
I see your point about putting some of these things in bigger context and making them about something more than just profanity.

[Twosugars]

Originally Posted by Brillopad

Oh how men love to talk about their bits! It never ceases to amaze me how the mere mention of a willy adds a bundle of non-sensical and pointless posts to a thread.

Aw, sorry the thread is not to your taste, Brillo.
But, I hope you agree, since it is displayed in such prominent locations in some major cities, it deserves to be discussed. We are not giggling here over some graffito genitals in the dark corner of a seedy street.
And you are too hard on the contributions to this discussion. All the post so far made sense and had a point.
Do you see any merit in explicit art in public spaces or such art existing at all?

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by chuff me dizzy

I don't want to explain to my children what the pervy art is ,no theres a time and place for everything

Aren't your children grown adults?

I'm sure they know what a penis looks like.