In light of my recent images being considered ‘inappropriate’ and ‘offensive’, it has really made me look at my work and wonder why it would be considered as such.
One of the images in question was used for an album cover for Sascha Mersch. At his launch he was not allowed to distribute flyers with this image on it as the host deemed it ‘too offensive’. Which both angered and disappointed me. I think mainly because this occurred in Berlin which I had thought to be quite a forward thinking community.
There are plenty of a of album covers or promotional material for musicians that are raunchy. That depict the female in various states of undress, and generally of a far more sexual nature than my drawing. There are nude images all over the internet, and I have seen plenty of bare breasts and bottoms on facebook and myspace too. I wonder why my drawings have been targeted by myspace and by this venue. Especially considering that it is art, rather than just somebody posing nude to sexually stimulate people.
I believe that the major reason for this (rather disappointing) reaction to my drawings may come down to the fact that it portrays a woman with pubic hair. Not a woman with ‘trimmed’ and ‘tidied’ pubes, but a natural hair where it ought to be. I believe that this push to make woman wax off all hair ‘down there’ is alarming. Many woman justify it by saying things like, ‘I like to feel clean’ and ‘tidy’. Who said you were dirty in the first place? This waxing of pubes to make oneself look twelve again is absurd and only dictated through the fashion of pornography. Are we really that vain? Are we so easily controlled by fashion that we will spend our money on getting some stranger to rip the pubes out of our groinal region in order to fit in? People tell me, and I have read in articles, that they do it for themselves. What rubbish. If fashion and pornography hadn’t demanded it of women I doubt that many people would be pulling their pubes out just for their own benefit. Why? Because it’s ridiculous. And it is for something that most woman who do do it, aren’t a part of. Porn.
Wow!!! I agree completely, 200%! Great post!!
I wasn't sure how this would be accepted. It seems to be a topic people refuse to talk and think about.
But it is something I feel strongly about, and I think I feel more strongly about it after having had a few discussions with woman and men of late.
It's sad that a social norm can make people so silent and controlled.
It's a lot about hype and trends created by an elite of male chauvinist pigs and greedy snobish females! I have that bad gut feeling when i see the models that are out there too. Those model agencies are the worst, i hate em, they have no respect what's so ever for the woman's body. Let's hope that with the Internet and free speech, (and some butterfly effect)this will start to change…
Thanks for blogging about this topic, Lily. I thought this practice was a generational thing (I'm 50) that I just couldn't grasp, so it pleases me no end to see a younger woman writing about this.
I was just introduced to your art and it's beautiful and not at ALL pornographic or offensive. It's too bad the Berliners couldn't see that.
I look forward to what's next from your palette.
Hi Jilliaine!
Thank you for your response. It is good to have feedback on this topic, as people seem unwilling to talk about it.
I should point out that most Berliners had great response to my work and it was this one particular venue that didn't..I guess that is why I was more surprised than I usually would have been!
I thought we’d had all these discussions many moons ago. I agree with your assessment about the pubes, Lily. Good on you for telling it like it is. Great to see you have your own studio. Looking forward to next exciting episode in your art.
Oh yes! I do recall.
Of late, however, people have been mostly unwilling to talk about it.
Lily,
I agree although the Black Crowes got away with the Amorica album years back. As a male in his 30s, the whole thing has really become unbelievable. In the late 80s and early 90s, every woman had a bush. It was a non-issue. Today, girls apologize to me if there is even 5 o’clock shadow down below. One girl had a natural look the first time we hooked up and I told her it was fine. The next time, it was gone because she felt uncomfortable. Bush is gone for good. It is now vulgar in the span of 15 years.
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