Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Colorado: State-funded sex-toy art upsets governor
9News via Denver Post ^ | 7/21/2005 | Paula Woodward and Nicole Vap

Posted on 07/28/2005 9:48:51 AM PDT by lainie

Gov. Bill Owens is weighing in on the debate over an artist given a $5,000 state fellowship grant, after hearing about the works of art that depict sex toys on hooks.

"Obviously, this is offensive and in extremely poor taste," said Owens, who couldn't view the piece himself but had it described to him by staffers. The governor is in New York for an awards ceremony for the University of Northern Colorado Business School.

The artist, Tsehai Johnson of Denver, received the fellowship from the Colorado Council on the Arts in 2003.

The work, originally titled "Twelve Dildos on Hooks" and completed in 2000, was one of several pieces submitted to the CCOA by Johnson when she was applying for the fellowship grant.

Johnson changed the title of the piece to "Large Implements on Hooks" before officially submitting the work to the council.

She told 9News in an interview that she changed the title for artistic reasons.

"I wanted the title to be a little more open-ended so that it didn't become so easily dismissed," she said.

Johnson described the piece to 9News: "They're meant to be sex toys, but sex toys that are talking about a lot of issues."

(Excerpt) Read more at denverpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: art; sextoyart; thedole
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-46 next last
Click here for The "art" on exhibition
1 posted on 07/28/2005 9:48:51 AM PDT by lainie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: lainie
[sigh] What passes for art today is just.... disappointing.
2 posted on 07/28/2005 9:54:06 AM PDT by taxcontrol (People are entitled to their opinion - no matter how wrong it is.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lainie
It should be called, "My last 12 neurons on separate hooks incapable of forming a synapse"
3 posted on 07/28/2005 9:54:28 AM PDT by msnimje
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lainie

The third one from the left on the bottom picture was submitted by Bill Clinton.


4 posted on 07/28/2005 9:54:54 AM PDT by politicket (Our Supreme Court just destroyed our land...any Patrick Henry's out there?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lainie
"They're meant to be sex toys, but sex toys that are talking about a lot of issues."

What issues? Gay/Lesbian perhaps. A good reason to stop this kind of ridiculous funding. This is not art just plain trash.

5 posted on 07/28/2005 9:56:15 AM PDT by BigFinn
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lainie
Another reason I'm voting no on Referendum's C&D.
6 posted on 07/28/2005 9:57:10 AM PDT by Millee (Earth First! We'll log the other planets later!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lainie

More taxpayer dollars pi$$ed down the drain.


7 posted on 07/28/2005 9:57:51 AM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: taxcontrol
"They're meant to be sex toys, but sex toys that are talking about a lot of issues."

The toys can talk?!

8 posted on 07/28/2005 9:58:05 AM PDT by borkrules
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: lainie

"...completed in 2000"
How long could it have taken to complete this "art"? My guess is 20 minutes. All of this junk that the spiritually-deficient call "art" should be hauled off with the rest of the trash we create in this empty society.


9 posted on 07/28/2005 9:59:26 AM PDT by kittymyrib
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BigFinn

"This is not art just plain trash."

You just quoted Jesse Helms from the Senate floor ( a few years back) discussing Jesus in a vat of urine funded at taxpayer expenxe.


10 posted on 07/28/2005 10:00:32 AM PDT by Reagan79 (www.ird-renew.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: taxcontrol

Damn! I'm an artiste and didn't even know it. And my piece--Five Fly Rods in Display Rack--looks a lot better.


11 posted on 07/28/2005 10:01:10 AM PDT by PeoplesRepublicOfWashington (Washington State--Land of Court-approved Voting Fraud.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: lainie

Well, at least the Coloradans are getting f***ed for there money here. Hope it is as good for them as it was for her, now roll over and go back to sleep.


12 posted on 07/28/2005 10:02:13 AM PDT by Surtur (Free Trade is NOT Fair Trade unless both economies are equivalent.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lainie

12 dildos on hooks. I can't describe idiocy but I know it when I see it.


13 posted on 07/28/2005 10:02:20 AM PDT by Sender (Team Infidel USA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: politicket

The bent one?


14 posted on 07/28/2005 10:03:54 AM PDT by i_dont_chat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: borkrules
"They're meant to be sex toys, but sex toys that are talking about a lot of issues."

The toys can talk?!

They want to talk about the relationship when you just want to roll over and go to sleep.

15 posted on 07/28/2005 10:05:33 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (Bork should have had Kennedy's USSC seat and Kelo v. New London would have gone the other way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: lainie

This is "anti-patriacrchy" hate crap. Hang some vaginas on hooks and see how far you get with this crowd.

errrr.... Never mind. I'm sure they'd find that "inspiring" for some damn reason.

OK - So give me 5 grand, and I'm there.



16 posted on 07/28/2005 10:09:11 AM PDT by Fido969 ("The story is true" - Dan Rather)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lainie
I'm trying to figure out the anatomy you would need to use two of them.

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel took over 4 years to paint. This looks like it could be knocked off in a short afternoon at the adult book store and hardware store, and still leave lots of time for happy hour at the local pub.

17 posted on 07/28/2005 10:11:30 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (Bork should have had Kennedy's USSC seat and Kelo v. New London would have gone the other way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lainie

More benefits of freedom from religion. (Government can't fund the 10 commandments, but x rated art? sure! anything without morals.)


18 posted on 07/28/2005 10:11:45 AM PDT by kharaku (G3 (http://www.cobolsoundsystem.com/mp3s/unreleased/evewasanape.mp3))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KarlInOhio
Any chance of combining this Colorado scandal with the Colorado Ward Churchill scandal?
19 posted on 07/28/2005 10:13:12 AM PDT by lOKKI (You can ignore reality until it bites you in the ass.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: lainie

Johnson described the piece to 9News: "They're meant to be sex toys, but sex toys that are talking about a lot of issues."



*snort*
They look more like motel keys hanging on coat hooks.
And as for speaking on many issues.. they don't show any inspiratiopn, talent, skill, or thought.
Anyone with a drill, chrome eye hook, and superglue could do that, and probably has in a few places of ill reputation.

(The scene from 'Tomcats' where the wall opens to reveal the fetish gear display comes to mind.)

Of course, I know of several pseudo-intellectual types in my area who will fawn and grovel at this stuff, praising it as 'thouhgt provoking' all the while.


20 posted on 07/28/2005 10:13:15 AM PDT by Darksheare (The day the tagline went "Boink!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-46 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson