nicholas nixon

[jnantz]

i do not know mr nixon but a friend asked me to post this if i could. i stalled
because i do not wish to be embroiled in a thread that goes sideways but thought i would just the same ...

http://www.wbur.org/artery/2018/03/23/photographer-nicholas-nixon-massart-investigation

[pjd]

There's a bit more detail in this article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/12/arts/design/ica-boston-closes-nicholas-nixon-photography-show.html

His apology (“I realize that I should have censored myself more") is interesting.

[Peter Lewin]

For me, the issue worth thinking about is in this sentence from the end of the Times article: "The forum has since been removed, but Artnet said the museum’s director, Jill Medvedow, and chief curator, Eva Respini, openly wrestled with their decision, raising age-old questions about the difficulties of separating an artist’s work from personal conduct." Immediately the operas of Richard Wagner (a known anti-Semite) and the poetry of Ezra Pound come to mind. I think when the art is good, we do separate the product from the person.

[mdarnton]

Information here is very sketchy. It appears that the situation may have been too sexual for some people, but being sexual isn't a crime, so they're trying to turn it into a discrimination issue, which it may not have been. I wonder if there would have been such a furor in an enlightened culture--say Germany, for instance-- rather than a sick and oppressive one.

[pjd]

I'm not sure Europe is that much more enlightened. In other news today...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/13/five-storey-blue-penis-causes-uproar-among-stockholm-residents

[jp]

In other news today...

I think the enlightened thing to do on this story is to realize the artist is looking for fame and recognition via shock and controversy rather than innovation.

[mdarnton]

I think that is most definitely not true. He didn't make up this mess, he's not promoting it, and it appears to have been happening for years without mention. He's known for something else entirely, and he appears to be stepping away from what happened in school as fast as he can. He is definitely NOT the one promoting this!

[faberryman]

He didn't make up this mess, he's not promoting it, and it appears to have been happening for years without mention.
Actually, by his conduct he did make this mess, and now he is lying in it.

[mdarnton]

http://www.kellevision.com/kellevision/2009/01/outraged-the-psychology-of-righteous-indignation.html

[cowanw]

Good read, although I am not sure the wave of self indignation isn't centuries old, the net makes for an easy "indignation of the week".
Still I am not sure giving out pictures of your penis is a good idea. For sure it is bad when you are a politician.

[MrFujicaman]

I'm not sure Europe is that much more enlightened. In other news today...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/13/five-storey-blue-penis-causes-uproar-among-stockholm-residents

Doctor Manhattan ?

[HT Finley]

Everybody can see I have a post on here I deleted because I didn't want to stir up the pot. So I'll just post a picture I like and let it do my talking. I know full well some people in this country today will attach their rage at what it depicts, but so what.
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[ic-racer]

???