Monday, August 08, 2005

Personally, I prefer my clothing medium-well.


I received a visiter today. This visiter tends to stop by each month around the same time and renders me very disagreable and not interested in much else than a hot bath.
So I'll just leave you to mull over something equally disgusting: The above is a picture of the Flesh Dress. It was created by canadian artist, Jana Sterbak in the late 80's. It is made of rotting meat. This dress (or another incarnation of it) is on display at the Centre Pompidou where I took the below photo during my visit yesterday. If you look closely at the floor the model is sitting on, you'll notice that the meat has permanently stained the gallery parquet.
The dress was left rotting in its initial installment until it reached its current dried, shriveled state. You can still see pieces of the salt stuck to the flesh originally added to preserve it. I don't know what is more terrifying-- a dress of rancid meat or the fact that someone accepted money to wear it.

15 Comments:

Blogger Serena said...

I'm afraid the "after" photo fell victim to my shaky hands. Sorry.

*travel tip: When packing for any trip, it is important to exclude clothing that wrinkles, doesn't breathe well or requires extra care when washing. But most importantly, if that shirt has an expriration date, or perhaps, maggots crawling all over it, leave it at home!

5:37 PM  
Blogger Forzavryheid said...

I am now CONVINCED that art has nothing substantial to offer mankind anymore...

If its not water bottles filled with melted Antarctic ice to highlight Global Warming, its dressing people up in rotting meat or throwing balls around a room for a few million Pounds.

I GIVE UP. : )

7:00 PM  
Blogger Serena said...

Let us not forget throwing cow shit at the Virgin Mary. They almost closed down the BAM for that one.

7:54 PM  
Blogger Sonja said...

dzh rvpbuieqgfbks;

I made keyboard art!!! Pay me!!!

8:34 PM  
Blogger Serena said...

\|/
(`) --entitiled "one-eyed willy"
[ ]
[ ]
( ) )

(see-- I can do that, too!)

9:19 PM  
Blogger Serena said...

*okay, I just spent way too much time on that!

9:19 PM  
Blogger UrbanCannibal said...

Hey Dollface,
I don’t know, I thought “Flesh Dress for an Albino Anorectic” was a confident piece of work. Despite what it did to the floor, it still has people talking. Not that it qualifies me or my opinions, but I went to art school and know that anything that gets a global tongue lashing like this can’t be considered a failure. Mind you, I’m just a cannibal so of course I’d have no problem with an image like this, ya know? There was a Mexican art student around here who collected his own sperm for a few months and displayed it in a forest, the world took a collective shit on this guy but he got the attention he wanted.

10:19 PM  
Blogger BeckEye said...

I wonder if that model gets offended when men look at her like she's a piece of meat.

11:48 PM  
Blogger Serena said...

(I'll keep Dollface, thanks! ;)

I absolutely agree that a work of art's power is dependent on it's ability to remain both original and relevant within both the culture it was created (the art world [elite and amateur] and the culture it was inspired by. The Pompidou has several works by Pollack, Matisse, and Piccaso-- all great, but all imitated by several generations of artists. While they are the orginals-- their power diminshes as the years pass and new, jaded critics see them as just one of many--from the movements they actually created.
(Note: These artists will always be relevant as they will always be affecting)
I dig modern art. I find the unorthodox to be quite inspiring. I understand the need to shock and be shock. And I can appreciate political/societal statements (angry, sad, triumphant) when expressed in a controversial way.
I just don't like rotten meat. :)


beckeye-LOL

11:58 PM  
Blogger The Dark Pig said...

I know it's great to debate what's art and what's not.

But, sometime a meat dress is just a meat dress. Maybe it made the girl feel pretty.

Unless it was pork... then it was just a shitty thing to do.

Eat beef.

2:00 AM  
Blogger UrbanCannibal said...

Eat people

2:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wonder if the dress tastes like jerky? It was salted. I think I missed a blog of yours .. did you ever get that "email" you were waiting for? Thanks for the encouragement to hold on.. cause Lord knows I am running out of steam with this house stuff. Wish you were here to help me but you know what? I would rather relax and read your blog about jerky dresses and erotic titties.

2:39 AM  
Blogger Serena said...

Dude, I cannot believe that your first comment on my site is Anonymous! Is it your 'celebrity status' that forces you to hide behind a false front?
You should come up with a cool internet identity.
(I vote The RamRod!)

4:17 AM  
Blogger Serena said...

It is around six a.m. And I can't sleep-- I am okay with that. I had a rather enjoyable evening. I finally got that e-mail and even took time to respond.
Also, last night's post, "Personally, I prefer my clothing medium-well," broke a Serena-Abroad record of 13 comments (I can count myself-- it's my blog. Lay off). Now, for some you, this is a pathetic number of comments, and to those of you I say: as of July 23, more than 930 people have visited my blog! (Squeal of delight!) "You love me, you really love me (only 10 pts. to the person who can name the actress who uttered those words-- it's just too easy [but stayed tuned for harder, more obscure quotes worth more pts.).
I find I have a bit of a "problem" with "comments" (and, apparently, "quotation" "marks"). I loves me some comments-- and I loves me the adoring fans who stop by. Thank you for your continued support. I will not forget the little people (especially those living in Darby O'Gill's backyard) as I rise in fame and glory. Just don't think it's cool to talk to me-- or act like we know each other in front of people.
Bisous!

6:17 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

So this is really late, but I do still get 10 points for knowing that's Sally Fields?

10:46 PM  

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