“This is not pornography”

[jen337]

Police called to Hay-on-Wye gallery over painting of naked woman in window.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/sep/20/police-called-to-hay-on-wye-gallery-after-it-puts-painting-of-naked-woman-in-window

“Officers went to the gallery after complaints that the painting, which features a naked woman wearing cowboy boots, her legs splayed to reveal a black triangle with pink wool on top, is not art but pornography.”

“Police had asked the painting be moved further inside the gallery, but Harris said she was “making a stand”. She said she was shocked to be told about the complaints, but that support online had been “massive” – “around 90% pro and 10% anti”, she said.”

Discuss.

My view is that the artist is correct, there’s nothing intrinsically offensive about a naked body, and there are are many depictions of the female form deemed acceptable, the famous and well loved little mermaid and countless other statues in public places, the many works of William Etty that hang in major galleries, Manet’s Olympia, etc. Although, I will admit this is not particularly “good” art, it’s still valid, and it might will have been deliberately placed to be provocative and court controversy, in which case it’s worked and highlights the hypocrisy.

It looks like I'm the only one who finds it really funny & more so with the notice in front it and what it says. I was laughing out loud at the painting and the comments. I just find the whole thread hilarious

@1dayatathyme maybe you should get out more perhaps?

Yes. All those nudes and scenes taken from Biblical and Greek myth etc. Here's a 15th century example. One of Cranach's many Venus and Cupid paintings. Sex has always sold.

www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/lucas-cranach-the-elder-cupid-complaining-to-venus

'Gallery owner's niece.'

Ah ok, so it actually is effectively a nepobaby issue - the person who was shocked at the suggestion shouldn't have been shocked.

I think the thing with Michaelangelo's David is that that is Classical style art and in Ancient Greece etc, less well-endowed guys were the aesthetic ideal in public art maybe. It would tend to be symbolic of younger 'guys.' They were the target of older guy's admiration. Well-hung guys were more in comedy or rumbunctuousness such as satyrs etc.

I dunno- is that hot? I can find women attractive but IDK if that's hot as such. It's too stylized to be porn.