This month in Vienna's Kunsthalle Art Gallery an eagerly awaited show opened entitled THE PORN IDENTITY. Not being in Vienna, I have no idea if it's an interesting show or not, but I keep running into this image by Marlene Haring, a clip from her installation.
It seems to be an historically dimensional show, perhaps trying to mow too large a swath, but it's roster of artists and performers runs quite a gamut-- from the offhand remarks of porn stars in documentary videos, to reference work of Kenneth Anger, stills from Gregory Dark's "New Wave Hookers," to a sculpture titled Playboy Arcade by Ed and Nancy Kienholz, and then including Bruce LaBruce for a dash of spice. 40 artists are listed, some surely worth seeing--even mainstream movie productions get in the act as Stanly Kubrick gets credit in the form of a sculpture from his film A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. It's a large glossy white mannequin with huge blond hair straddled above a red dildo, a piece which was featured in the milk bar scenes. Louisa Achille's video of interviews with ex-porn celebrities, writers, photographers, also looks of interest.
These few elements I mention from the show I scooped from random reviews and articles on the internet. All in all, it looks like a boring idea which fails, partly because the evaluation and subscription of artists and subjects is centered around the 1970's and 1980's. It's stale, musty, and filled with ideas such as the argument between traditional feminism and pornography. A chestnut which would make anyone born in the last 40 years scratch their head. At least they don't include Judy Chicago's vagina paintings or maybe they do. It looks like that kind of a show. The opening night probably had Ron Jeremy and Cicciolina seated at folding chairs behind a long table signing autographs of 8"x10" posters. Hell, I wasn't there, who knows. I'm leaving a few pieces I found interesting: a short except from "The Naked Feminist," which features Veronica Hart speaking of her life as mother, Cub Scout den leader and porn star; also another excerpt from the same documentary in which Betty Dodson speaks of her experiences with feminism from the 1970's until her inclusion into the SM community and a more active and personal philosophy of sex.
Most of the participants seem to be professionals who for 40 years have lived off the porn industry, or in documenting some permutation of same. Reminds me of a gallery that might feature old music covers from the 1960's, and investigate their influence on, or relevance to contemporary strains of art. A misleading idea which leaves us stuck in some netherworld of opinions concerning a subject far too vast for a single show. An interesting stat: worldwide, one out of every five sites on the internet is a porn site. Porn is like Rock n Roll, or Gangster Rap, or hardcore BDSM; it thrives on the rarefied air of revolt and audacity. When those elements depart, through time or consumer acceptance, or celebrity status, the power is killed off. They might earn profits and notoriety, but the once vital hunger is lost, replaced by a pot-bellied band singing their 30-year-old hits at a State Fair; or a once sexy and nasty porn star who's now become CEO of a dvd distribution company in which she still squeezes into a leather corset, brandishes her riding crop and gives instructions in "hot" sex. Some depressing shit. No, the installations look about as sexy as a Quaker prayer meeting.
But, if you can't cash-in your tickets to Vienna for a a refund, I'm told that there's also a gallery across the street which is showing an Egon Schiele collection. To see those paintings "live" and the probability of good coffee and pastries; well, the trip might be worthwhile after all. Sign me up.
"Feminism and Pornography".
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