Wednesday, July 18, 2007

a sex lesson & a sexy show

When my brother and I were kids, our mother enrolled us in piano class. It was a dreaded weekly ritual – our teacher was an evil woman who held fang-sharp pencils under our palms while we did the drills. "That's it, THAT'S it!," she would yell. "Keep your hands ABOVE the keys! KEEP THEM UP! UP! UP!"

Mother said with a laugh, "Don't mind her, boys, she's just a bit grouchy 'cause she's a spinster. You'll get used to her."

That's how I learned of the theory that spinsterhood = grumpiness. So when I got to college, I then made it a point to enroll in classes taught only by married teachers. My best friend during freshman year explained it to me: People get cranky when they don't get enough sex!

Thus the equation became: sexlessness = grumpiness.

Haha! I snickered then, though today I consider that pronouncement as wisdom. Whenever I realize that I've been mean to people, I tell myself: Get. Some. Sex! :-)

Unfortunately, the subject of sex is often regarded as taboo by many, and much of its portrayal in the media aggravates this perception. Sexual acts are sanitized or censored. Porn is viewed as cheap. Prurient literature or movies are dismissed as lacking artistry. Good thing, there are those who continue to elevate the status of erotica. The trick is to inject a certain amount of artistic value – oftentimes an intellectual concept – to the erotic material or work.

I'm taking part in such an endeavor. From July 24 to September 22, I will join 14 other artists in an exhibition entitled 'ARS EROTICA'. It will be at the Sison Art Gallery on Taft Avenue corner Remedios Street in Manila, Philippines. I've included some samples of the works here: 'Strap-On' mohair penis by Riza Manalo (above, right), 'Vu-l-va' by Gerardo Tan (left) and one of my own photoworks entitled 'Flaccid' (below, right).

Gallery hours are from 2pm to 6pm, Thursdays and Saturdays. If you find yourself in the area, drop by for some sex. It'll do you good. :-)

The Sun Sex Be@rbrick is by Madsaki, a Japanese artist who graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York City. After 25 years in the US, he moved back to Tokyo and now is part of the artist group, Barnstormers. He has exhibited in New York City, Paris and Tokyo, and has made films, worked for publications, and collaborated with brands such as Levis, Clot, Isetan, XBox, and Commes De Garcons.

Info from www.madsaki.com

12 comments:

Thereyoucome said...

just watched the movie Babel some days before, I can't understand the Japanese girl in it, who seems too hungry of sex, maybe the environment around matters.

your idea is similar to the book "ideal marriage", which's talking about sex all the time.

p.s. I came to get something for my collection: site about bear:)

Socky said...

Too bad I'll miss the opening night. But I still want a copy of your work "Flaccid". Signed, of course :-)

bearbricklove.com said...

Hi, Socky, I know you're having a helluva time in Toronto – with Brassaii bistro, the Summerlicious fest and all. Will miss you at the opening but Charo will be coming (had a soundtrack session with her yesterday).

Take more pics of your trip! :-)

bearbricklove.com said...

So you're a Be@rbrick collector, too! Nice to know that, thereyoucome. :-)

Yes, the Japanese girl in 'Babel' was very complex. But considering what she went through – her mom committed suicide – I thought her dysfunction was understandable.

Anonymous said...

I like the mohair strap-on and my first reaction to Flaccid was to smile. I'm interested in learning how other people react to the exhibit, and in particular, your artwork.

I'll be waiting to hear how the exhibit goes. You'll have to let us know. Good luck!

bearbricklove.com said...

Hi, Carrie, the exhibit was packed! I guess sex really sells – LOL! A lot of guests showed interest in my work, Flaccid. They said it was quite playful. :-) But I suppose people are still too conservative to display erotica in their houses without reservations, especially the more in-your-face artworks like Vulva.

It was a fun evening – I was glad to be part of it! :-)

Watergirl said...

The piece Vulva looks like it has strong influences from Van Gogh. I'll definitely be going over to see the exhibit, good thing it's up (hehehe, sorry for the pun) till Sept.

bearbricklove.com said...

Mila, in Vulva (which was painted on a mirror), the image of the man is actually a reflection of another painting across the hall. Cleverly photographed, don't you think? Anyway, I do hope you drop by – it's a very interesting exhibit. :-)

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to hear the exhibit was a success. I am assuming that Flaccid is the photo you posted with the strategically placed finger. I think it's beautiful and it brings a smile to my face each time I look at it. Where do you find your models?

bearbricklove.com said...

Carrie, the guys are model friends of mine. I am in the advertising business, you see, and I personally know a lot of them.

Thanks for your very appreciative comments. Very inspiring indeed! :-)

Anonymous said...

hi ariel. ricky villabona here. wandered into your blog courtesy of sunny lucero. i got her a sex pistols bearbrick in bangkok kasi, and got fascinated with this bearbrick i saw with lightning bolts all over it (I dont remember the name). nice blog! and this picture of flaccid is really great. I wish i had stumbled upon this blog a long time ago. i would have gone to see your exhibit. :)

bearbricklove.com said...

hi, ricky, that bear with the lightning pattern must be the eley kishimoto bear – there's a pic of it sent by a reader in my blog's sidebar.

So Sunny's got you interested in bearbricks? Welcome to the club! :-)