(Untitled)

[marinesnow]

The period blood photos have had a few interesting responses on Flickr. There's been a couple of "that's gross" and "made me want to vom!", which I expected, but I really liked these comments (from guys), even though I didn't necessarily agree with them

Comments

[ridethegallows]

most of the time people's comments about art say more about themselves than about the actual work. i guess you could make the argument that the meaning of the work encompasses all possible interpretations, but it's very rare that a viewer will ever grasp the artist's intention unless they know the artist well. i find that you can only start accurately deconstructing symbolism (IF there is even intention behind the symbolism) if you're familiar with the artist's previous work, their thematic interests, etc.

To me it made me think of Mark Quinn's blood sculptures and the whole genre of using bodily substances in art, and even though you said it started off as a joke I think it would go over successfully in the feminist contemporary art scene.

[marinesnow]

yes, it's definitely interesting to see really negative interpretations of the use of menstrual blood, as these have obviously come from a personal revulsion, rather than anything i intended...
i'm not familiar with mark quinn (or many artists really), but a swift google led me to the blood head, which i love! thanks for pointing me in his direction.
matt was a bit put out when i tried to qualify the photos by explaining that they started as a joke - he's declared himself to be fully behind them. which is funny, and awesome. you're still in montreal, right? matt has just found an apartment there.

[ridethegallows]

Yeah, several of those posters' assumptions struck me as being very egocentric and bizarrely sexist (touching menstrual blood makes a man more of a woman??).

Truthfully I have little interest in contemporary art, but the entire movement is about what the art object represents so if Matt was on board with the concept the fact that it was a joke almost doesn't matter. :)

Actually, I've been in Toronto since August 1st. What area of town is Matt in? I might be able to recommend good bars/ restaurants/ cheap grocery stores, etc. Wherever he lives, if he's into artsy/indie music, the Casa Del Popolo (http://www.casadelpopolo.com/contents/casadelpopolo) is awesome for cheap concerts and has delicious sandwiches.

[marinesnow]

oh man definitely i was horrified that someone would think that! it's possibly even weirder to say that touching semen makes a man less of a man and more of a woman? hilarious that he sees it as this magical, 'womanifying' substance...
matt says he'll be in (on?) the plateau.