07-28-2006, 08:56 PM
I am not sure where to put this so I stuck it here. I caught a blurb on morning TV today about this photographer's exhibit. The exhibit is actually called "End Times". No kidding. She took pictures of children in "pain" which she created by giving the children candy then taking it away, and snapping the picture. All this with parent's consent of course.
The photos are here http://www.paulkopeikingallery.com/artis.../endtimes/
for anyone who wants to check it out, but obviously be aware of end time triggers since the whole thing is shouting "I AM A TRGGER" by it's title.
I found myself disturbed by the whole thing, on several levels. One, I support freedom of expression, as an artist. I worry about being manipulated to change my mind on this. But I found the images disturbing and for some reason slighty pornographic on some level.
[EDIT: Maybe "pornographic" is the wrong word. It was more like I found myself thinking that someone who enjoys hurting children would like these pictures.]
This exhibit has created a huge uproar on grounds that the artist exploited the children to get her material.
Which raises the questions: do artists have a social responsibility when they produce their work? If we produce work we are programmed to produce, how can we tell when we make something outside the programming? Or can we?
The photos are here http://www.paulkopeikingallery.com/artis.../endtimes/
for anyone who wants to check it out, but obviously be aware of end time triggers since the whole thing is shouting "I AM A TRGGER" by it's title.
I found myself disturbed by the whole thing, on several levels. One, I support freedom of expression, as an artist. I worry about being manipulated to change my mind on this. But I found the images disturbing and for some reason slighty pornographic on some level.
[EDIT: Maybe "pornographic" is the wrong word. It was more like I found myself thinking that someone who enjoys hurting children would like these pictures.]
This exhibit has created a huge uproar on grounds that the artist exploited the children to get her material.
Which raises the questions: do artists have a social responsibility when they produce their work? If we produce work we are programmed to produce, how can we tell when we make something outside the programming? Or can we?