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Topic: What is
Replies: 7 Pages: 1 Last Post: Apr 16, 2004 8:03 AM by: James Michael Lawrence

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Replies: 7 Pages: 1

James Michael Lawrence

Posts: 134
Registered: Jan 3, 2004

What is
Posted: Apr 13, 2004 11:08 AM

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Gabriel Combs

Posts: 1,497
Registered: Jun 16, 2002

Re: What is quot;Gay Artquot; and is there such a thing as a quot;Gay Artis
Posted: Apr 13, 2004 1:08 PM

I look at things like that kind of in a bad way, although they may have not been said with negative effect in mind. I don't like being called an outsider artist. I feel it is in attempts of stealing or dismissing my "Artist" self. It can be used against you. Like just calling someone with extreme political views a fanatic, thus dismissing even hearing them. Just my thought.

Darin Ingalls

Posts: 14
Registered: Apr 10, 2004

Re: What is quot;Gay Artquot; and is there such a thing as a quot;Gay Artis
Posted: Apr 14, 2004 12:54 AM

I think to prequalify an artist or person goes against everything most people, and groups have worked hard to avoid. Being sterotyped, and separated. It also potentialy sets the viewer up to have preconcieved notions on what the art should be. Now unless the artist is truly intending that, it seems a bit disingenious. Our society likes to fit everyone in to nice neat little boxes. I think its out of the will to be sure everyone is accounted for and included. But it actually does more harm in my opinion. Now if the artist wants to be know as such more power to them.

Do most people prequalify their friends...."this is my gay friend", "oh meet my black friend", "hey this is my mexian friend", "this is my redneck buddy"? Seems a bit ridiculous but its true.

DAR

The White Hetero Male Artist..........hmmm now that just dont work , I would get labeled a separtist, neo-nazi, homo phobe, sexist.
Which just isnt true ...ask my gay black friend.

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: What is quot;Gay Artquot; and is there such a thing as a quot;Gay Artistquot;?
Posted: Apr 15, 2004 1:27 AM

This is a wonderful topic...something I was too afraid to start, actually. Last semester I was asked to give a presentation on "Gay" art and artists... which for me begged a whole lot of questions. The first line of questioning was similar to yours - "Is it 'gay art' if the artist is gay but the work has no overt sexual/political/etc. content?"

But my biggest question was more polemical: Do we gloss over the mutability and simultaneity inherent (in my belief) to sexuality by insisting on a Gay/Straight binary? (Or even the limited spectrum of GLBT?) Interesting to me is that these terms are all dialogic, both within "Gay" and "Straight" culture.

What do y'all think?

James - what paper was this in? It is interesting to me that they actually identified you as a "Gay Artist". As a journalist, I've been following some interesting guidelines and discussions about how to write about gay sexuality in say, a profile of an individual. People actually have meetings about this...crazy, no? The most "politically correct" way is to out the person through introducing their partner into the article (make sure they have a gender-specific name, too!) or saying that they are "self-identified" if that is the case, but this is hardly a solution.

lauren

James Michael Lawrence

Posts: 134
Registered: Jan 3, 2004

Re: What is quot;Gay Artquot; and is there such a thing as a quot;Gay Artis
Posted: Apr 15, 2004 10:59 AM

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Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: What is quot;Gay Artquot; and is there such a thing as a quot;Gay Artistquot;?
Posted: Apr 15, 2004 9:58 PM

Wow, how weird! I've never heard of that happening to anyone else. I can't offer you any legal advice, but if you remember the domain name of the site, you can find out who owns it by checking with any domain name registrar on the web, like http://www.Godaddy.com .

> On the other hand - let's talk more about 'identity'
> in relationship to how artists may or may not to
> self-identify themselves. I'm really interested in
> the implications that suggests to the public as well
> as to the arts community.

Well, as a person with more years in the community, I'd like to throw that question back at you. What positive or negative outcomes have you seen from labeling and self-identification of artists (gay or otherwise)?

lauren

Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001

Re: What is quot;Gay Artquot; and is there such a thing as a quot;Gay Artistquot;?
Posted: Apr 16, 2004 1:02 AM

Positive/Negitive.
This good logic makes me want to stop using the "homeless artist" e-mail name. Maybe some other kinda artist, rich- smart- visionary- innovative- there are all kinsa good words.

>>>>It's a powerless feeling to find yourself misrepresented to such a degree.<<<<<

I still find blatently inacurate information on myself. The Midwest Edge interview won't surender to reality. It sucks to be misquoted and have fabricated lines credited to you, ect.

James Michael Lawrence

Posts: 134
Registered: Jan 3, 2004

Re: What is quot;Gay Artquot; and is there such a thing as a quot;Gay Artis
Posted: Apr 16, 2004 8:03 AM

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Replies: 7 Pages: 1

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