ODDLY ENOUGH, amid all the images of flesh on view in Strand on Volta's latest group exhibition, shown along with examples of some less readily identifiable bodily tissue/fluid sculpted from molten glass -- teeth? a jawbone? sperm? tears? -- the word that springs to mind is not "meat" but "plastic." As in pliable, capable of being molded, able to deform continuously and permanently without rupturing. This is, I think, central to the point of "Meat and You," a smart if somewhat esoteric show organized by artist James Huckenpahler to underscore not only our relationship to meat but our embodiment of it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2003/10/10/strand-on-volta-cuts-in-to-some-meaty-issues/8a433284-af01-4d27-aff1-2afd819a815b/?utm_term=.1ddc9b357597
THERE'S THE creepiness of a horror movie to Craig Doty's art, on view at Strand on Volta. Which is to say you might want to cover your eyes while peeking through the cracks of your fingers at the same time. I'm not just talking about the artist's more overtly spooky images, several of which depict nighttime scenes featuring characters engaged in behavior that could be construed as threatening, or in response to threat. Even Doty's most innocuous images -- and there's a kind of calm, classical innocence to almost all of them -- feel illicit, if not illegal. Should I be watching this, or reporting it?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/09/AR2005060900651.html
Tony and Heather Podesta, David Brock, and Alefantis at Strand on Volta.
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/food/article/13028600/plus-ccedila-change
Some of the sick works by an artist named Craig Doty who is featured at Strand on Volta - This shit is supposed to be art but is almost NSFL btw.
http://www.rootsandculturecac.org/images/shows/show32_445.jpg
http://www.rootsandculturecac.org/images/shows/show32_448.jpg
http://www.rootsandculturecac.org/images/shows/show32_447.jpg
http://www.rootsandculturecac.org/images/shows/show32_441.jpg
http://www.rootsandculturecac.org/images/shows/show32_452.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ip2wwMnSOfo/Ss0FRlm36mI/AAAAAAAAAwE/NYf9h_kd5J4/s400/craig.jpg
http://wecanshoottoo.blogspot.com/2009/10/feature-craig-doty.html
Part 2. Transformer Gallery AKA Transexual
So as im digging I came across a second gallery that James Alefantis is the current president of called Trans-former Gallery with pretty weird "art" .also found a great set of photos of a Transformer Gallery hosted party at none other than Tony Podestas house!
http://www.transformerdc.org/about/council
http://archive.is/joUBw
Matha Wilson, featured at Transformer gallery more WTF. http://franklinfurnace.org/support/membership2015/mw_letter.php
even more WTF - http://hyperallergic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/002-M-WILSON-Bear-in-MindBare-in-Hind.jpg
https://ribbonaroundabomb.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/franklin-7.jpg
Transformer Gallery artist trying to promote pedophilia - "NoMüNoMü maintains a diverse selection of artists whose make up cuts through the lines of race, age, gender and orientation, in order to create shows that can push dialogues and audiences towards a truer understanding of the intersectionality within the field of art, so as to transform it entirely."
http://www.transformerdc.org/exhibitions/overview/exhibition-gift-shop
view the rest of the comments →
gurneyx ago
i think its pretty clear that art galleries are being used to launder the cash for sale of people. You can sell a piece of art for whatever you want.
je-sui-pepe ago
As an owner of an art Gallery (small) I will say that the art i just looked at is not what i call art. My hubby and I do street art so we get a lot of edgy stuff, but nothing this disturbing. (and none of those links looked like art to me at all.) I will say the younger generation is death obsessed because of the Walking Dead and American Horror story type shows the they are influenced by. They tend to produce a lot of that type of work, we usually reject it unless its a really good concept or whatever. It is just strange what this supposed art gallery is showing,
strix-varia ago
Thanks for saying this. I am not liking "art" of any kind these days. I'd like to know why fine art students at uni are forced to study abramovic? Is that "art" in an artists world?
je-sui-pepe ago
well the young ladies are all muh feminism, they always do some shocking in your face vagina art. ugh (i can always tell the 20 year old artists). Marina is unique because what she does is performance art, and hers is unique and she is intriguing they way they present her. I personally abhor any art that is satanic and stay away from it, but i do see many satanic references in young artists. I find that a little frightening. Most of them are not really into satanism, they just like the symbolism which is because its seems shocking and so underground (which it has always been that way) We just try to avoid it in our gallery but we still want good edgy art. Also i live in a southern town, and Pizza art, Taco art is very popular among kids. Again the influence is from the Miley/Katy Perry videos and lots of people love the pizza slice art. Never did i know it was a pedophile symbol. After this pizzagate thing though i am seeing things in a different way.
strix-varia ago
Thank you again. I have an +55 friend (although the friendship is waning fast) who is in fine arts in university and all of a sudden, she's a, sigh, feminist, with a fck you attitude. I'm trying to subtly, no outwardly, tell her that she is being indoctrinated big time, but she does not want to hear it! This is a woman who went to Iran 5 years ago and still does not know what Sharia law is and doesn't want to know. Yes, your whole world will look quite different now with a understanding of pizzagate. I look at it as a blessing, even though it's horrifying.
je-sui-pepe ago
depends on the Gallery, All galleries in the modern art world like to show edgy art. Mark Ryden is a well known artist with gorgeous art that leans towards pedophilia heavily, yet every young artist aspires to emulate his art. You have a whole subset of young artists who like to be edgy, most are not portraying pedophilia and death because that is what they are into, but because it is what is popular in their culture. I have to say tho that Alefantis and some of his ilk collect disturbing art that would ONLY appeal to a disturbed mind. I would not show most of that work, because it makes me sick inside. We have one artist who is extremely edgy but he does not feature children, its adult and based on adult sexuality. There are always going to be dark and disturbing references in some art because shock value is something that artists like to do, and because there are a lot of bipolar artists. they think differently than your average person.
dmthirdeye ago
Yup totally agree meant to put that in the post but was digging and pasting as I went thru.
gurneyx ago
great research !