MY MOTHER´S BREASTS IN A SPANISH NEWSPAPER

Published today in ADN Newspaper, Madrid, print version.

I recently took part in a collective exhibition , "INCOMODOS" comissioned by Ciuco Gutierrez with 3 other artists: Alvaro Rojas, Ariadna Arnés and Mara León at Cero Art Gallery.

I participated with two large prints of "Estranged Sex", Estranged Sex III (below with my mother) and Estranged Sex VI (above) and "Estranged Sex- Video 1: The couple".

An article about the exhibition appeared today in a the Spanish newspaper ADN. There have been several reviews in different culture magazines, as well as many online references, but to my knowledge that was the first time there was an article in a newspaper.

It's good news. There seem to be a free space for emotional pornography in the public arena... Now the emotional pornography isn't my term, I don't even agree with it, but that's the article's title..

A quick translation would be:
"The uncomfortable attracts attention. Art has learnt to play with what the observer wants and does not want to see. The message that accompanies the exhibition "these images can hurt your sensibility" (something along the lines of viewer discretion recommended) acts as an instant appeal... The work of these four photographers confront us with day to day experiences, in a sort of emotional pornography, that does not intend to accomodate the desires of the observer....(then she goes on describing the images and says) The images lack the intention to convey anything specific, they simply seek the grin/ wince. Provoking images that attract attention through discomfort".

I am slightly reluctant to accept the possibility that someone can accurately state others intentions, but yet again this is only a personal note.

Thinking about it, I definately want to provoke discomfort and catch the attention of the observer through creating an uneasy and ackward mood, in sticky and ironic pictures that confront us with what we consider shameful and pathetic yet very human and humane. All this for an utter purpose: that of reflecting upon human sexuality and eventually constructing a better, more inclusive and natural one...

Should this person had read the text that accompanies the pictures, the flyers that are handed over at the gallery, visited our websites, or contacted us, she would have realised that each of us had indeed communicative intentions.

So now I wonder, if this statement relates to public opinion on modern art (modern art does not mean anything, modern art simply seeks to provoke some reaction for the sake of it, for some sort of tautological self feeding artistic endeavour or delayed post adolescent rebellion outburst...) or these thought's arent general and just the journalist's.

It's interesting to say the least.