Femme Fatales: Summer Spectacular Issue, 2006

Dirty Show 7 featured in the pages of Femme Fatales mangaine.
Click here to download a PDF file of the page to read for yourself.

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September 10, 2003

Sex, sex, sex, sex...

by Sarah Klein
 
 Well, now that I've got your attention ... ah, that magic word … just three little letters invoke one gigantic smorgasbord of fetishes, fascinations, hang-ups, diatribes and designer cologne commercials. Sex sells. Sex intrigues. Sex scandalizes. Sex starts some careers and finishes others. Any channel on the television, any URL on the Web: It's all about sex, sex, sex, sex, sex!

Yes, we Americans might be obsessed with movie ratings and cussing on TV, but secretly we're a dirty-minded sex-obsessed bunch o' pervs, rivaled perhaps only by the Japanese and their stomach-turning puke-and-poop fetishes.

Therefore, it's no surprise that sex conventions are spreading across the country faster than herpes did in the 1970s. These titillating weekend expos have drawn thousands of attendees in LA, NY, San Francisco, and Toronto.

This weekend, Detroit will present its first and very own sordid convo: Sexpo!, which is billed as a "convention erotique" (apparently it's classier when you say it in French).

Sexpo! is brought to you by the same filthy masterminds behind the now-infamous Dirty Show, the unabashedly ribald art exhibit now in its fourth year. Sexpo! was originally intended as a spin-off of Dirty, and is spearheaded (heh-heh) by lovable quirkster and karaoke guru Jeremy Harvey. The infamous former Orbit publisher, Jerry "Vile" Peterson, is working behind the scenes (heh-heh) as well.

"All sorts of like-minded people are combining forces to create what should be one of the weirdest and wildest events in recent history," says Harvey, an artist who once showed a collection of his work at CPOP which consisted entirely of paintings of buttholes.

Unlike the Dirty Show, which was devoted strictly to Motor City smut peddlers, er, artists, Sexpo! has wrangled some national talent from such heathens, er, artists as Anthony Ausgang, Mark Mothersbaugh (of Devo fame), and Isabel Samaras. Of course, the usual indecent suspects will make a showing, including lewd and lascivious locals Niagara, Mark Arminsky, Tom Thewes and more.

Furthermore, should the evening's suggestive matter stir up some juices in you and your loved one(s), there will be strap-ons a-plenty for sale! Gee whiz, Wally! A whole bevy of bawdy "erotic exhibitors" will be vending their filthy tools of fornication — everything from studded dog collars and sex toys to a product that allegedly re-grows the foreskin on a circumcised penis. Harvey likens it to "a veritable Gibraltar Trade Center of sex." Hopefully … with more teeth.

Truly a multimedia extravaganza, the convention will also feature lots of good, old-fashioned T&A — live and in person! Expect scintillating and sordid entertainment from those scantily clad harlots the Demolition Dollrods, and a cornucopia of envelope-pushing performance art, including a cutting-edge dance troupe, an ass-spanky fetish show, a bevy of burlesque beauties and an outlandish fashion show. (Full editorial disclosure: The author — that brazen little hussy — will perform at the event.) There are also bodypainting and drag queen contests with cash prizes.

Given the salacious nature of the event, anything is possible.

"Not even we know what is going to happen," says Harvey.

You bet yer rosy-red, freshly flogged ass! One thing's for sure: Sexpo! will probe (heh-heh) every naughty little nuance our disgustingly deviant human minds can dredge up. In fact, most of the press photos were so naughty we were hard-pressed (heh-heh) to find one suitable enough for even our flamingly liberal publication! Boy, howdy!

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February 17, 20
03
Detroiters get sexy at Dirty Show

By Brandon Randles / South End Fierce fashionista

I attended the Dirty Show at the MONA (Museum Of New Art) over the weekend and the hottest look there was "au natural." The show, dedicated to the ultimate art of sex, was attended by throngs of Detroit area artists, fashionistas, and hipsters all looking (or at least trying) their sexiest.

The bartenders and cocktail servers were wearing nothing more than skimpy undies and pasties for tops; it was fabulous.

Though everyone did not have bodies like the model Frederique or Tom Cruise, the sheer joy people took from their own bodies and everyone else's made them stunning.

Sexuality isn't necessarily about how you look, but more about how you present yourself.

And these boys and girls were rock-solid sexy. As for the patrons, there were lots of leather and lace - as one would imagine - and a lot of skin.

One girl working the peepshow booth had a great baby-doll shirt, which proclaimed a certain activity she loves doing. If that didn't put a smile on peoples faces, nothing would.

A variety of subcultures wandered amidst the crowd. In one corner was a demonstration of some light bondage involving a wooden pommel horse and a leather-clad woman wielding a riding crop. Several drag queens, female impersonators, strippers, and go-go boys rounded out the entertainment. Good fun for the whole family.

In some ways it was difficult to view the art when it was so much fun to watch people, but I did see some very interesting pieces.

As you would imagine there were lots of nude girls, and although I appreciate the female form in all of its beauty, I did wonder why there wasn't equal opportunity paid to the male half of the human spectrum?

Where are all of those strong, independent, women artists out there who want to exploit the male species a bit more?

All in all, the Dirty Show was a whole lot of dirty fun with a few pieces of really great art thrown in.

Don't miss your chance to dress down for libido-inspired art next year because, sadly, the show only lasted for the weekend.

But don't forget your pasties for next year.

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February 14, 2003

'Dirty' Art Show Stirs Up Controversy

A local art museum is turning some heads with a new controversial erotic exhibit.

Is it art or pornography?"The Dirty Show" will be exhibited this weekend at the Museum of New Art on Washington Boulevard in Detroit. The show participants say the exhibit showcases erotica in all media, including drawings, paintings, movies, performance artists and photographs.

Jeremy Harvey, described as the social organizer of the exhibit, says the show is "designed to appeal to the high-brow appreciator of fine art." But the show is sure to stir up controversy as to whether the displays are works of art, or pornography disguised as art. The Web site for the exhibit contains the following warning before entering:

The following site contains sexually explict images and material. You must be 18 years or older to continue. If you are under 18, you must LEAVE NOW. Misrepresentation of your age in order to gain access to this site may be a violation of local, state and federal law. If you are not 18 years of age or older, you must EXIT from this site immediately!

Billy Hunter, the director of MONA, said "when the viewing public witnesses the show this year, the word will be out for good that this is not just another attempt at cheap porn, but wonderful art work coming to the forefront."

The show is sponsored by Juxtapoz, considered to be one of the leading cutting-edge art magazines.

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February 14, 2003

Is it porn or is it art? You judge 'dirty show'

By Joy Hakanson Colby / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- 'Pornography pure and simple" is how artist Jef Bourgeau describes the "dirty show" opening today, Valentine's Day, at the Museum of New Art (MONA).

As the founder and former director of MONA, housed in the Book Building, Bourgeau believes the exhibit that occupies rented space within the museum is the lowest form of art laundering.

Why? "Because it gets prurient art validated as something of real worth by simply renting space in a museum," says Bourgeau.

Bourgeau had issues of censorship when the Detroit Institute of Arts closed his one-man exhibit because it might offend the community.

MONA Director Billy Hunter, who rented out the museum, denies that he and his predecessor are feuding. But he adds: "Jef's got some nerve calling the show porn. Yes, it will have an adult content and viewers must be over 21. But the quality will be high, with artists like Glenn Barr, Tom Thewes and Niagara participating."

The director adds that "dirty" is expected to draw between 800 and 1,000 people, each paying a $7 donation, during the three-day run. Cash-starved MONA gets 25 percent of the take, which will serve as the rental fee.
Because the show wasn't juried until Sunday, it was booked on faith. Hunter has been involved with the three previous "dirty" exhibits and felt confident about the fourth.

At this point, Bourgeau is basing his objections on a comment in the press release promoting the show: "Obviously, this is art because it's on the walls of a museum. If this was pornography, it would be in one of those seedy bookstores with the peepholes in the back."

Bourgeau emphasizes that his stand is not about censorship but rather about principles. He says many museums now define a project's merit by popular demand alone and can't tell the difference between art and entertainment.

When it comes to censorship, Bourgeau is still skittish. He remembers too well November 1999 when the Detroit Institute of Arts canceled his show. The artist cried "censorship" and made headlines nationwide.
Organizers of "dirty" are delighted with the famously censored artist's objections to their show.
"We don't want Jef to like our exhibit," says exhibitor/juror Glenn Barr with a laugh.
"In fact, Jef's disapproval might just bring in more people to see what we're all about," adds writer Jerry Peterson, who created the "dirty" show and was former editor and publisher of the now-defunct Orbit magazine. "It's all tongue-in-cheek."

Asked to define "dirty," Peterson says Dean St. Souver's entry in last year's exhibit does the job for him.
The artist found a painting at a garage sale of a young boy fishing and a man standing on a bridge looking down at him. Then he added the caption: "Dirty is in the mind of the beholder."

The show is sponsored by Juxtapose magazine and will be simulcast over the Internet at dirtydetroit.com.

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February 12, 2003

MONA moans with pleasure at this year's "dirty" show.

by Christina Kallery

It's an opportunity to revel in lowbrow culture. s billed as erotic, controversial, disgusting, shocking and just plain dirty. But just how dirty is the fourth annual "dirty" show, an erotic art extravaganza opening at the Museum of New Art (MONA) on Valentine's Day? Well … it's pretty dirty. But, unless you're in the seventh grade or don't own a television set, you may not find much to get profoundly shocked over. Grossed out or offended, maybe. Titillated, fair chance.

In plain terms, "dirty" is more of a hedonists' ball than anything to do with authentically controversial artwork. (The show's creator Jerry Vile terms it "Caligula-esque.") It's an opportunity to revel in lowbrow culture, thumb your nose (or whatever) at all things puritanical and otherwise indulge those pervy, voyeuristic or juvenile impulses. Oh yeah, and to buy something you'll have to turn toward the wall when Mom drops by. Judging by past years' turnouts, plenty of Detroiters will pack MONA's second-floor Book Building suite this weekend to do just that.

Attendees can expect a slew of paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and mixed-media pieces by both established and unknown Detroit visual artists. (In some cases, I'd be tempted to get all pretentious and add a set of quotation marks around the phrase "visual artist," unless by "visual" you mean "disturbed" and by "artist" you mean "person who may not have gotten within groping distance of a female since before the last two presidential administrations and may admire the music of Ted Nugent.")

Some of the show's pieces bring to mind a couple of stoner guys in my high school art class (betcha there were a few in yours too) who excelled at drawing elaborate and highly imaginative renderings of stuff like cannabis leaves, decomposing skulls and half-naked chicks brandishing automatic weapons. One guy wore knee-length moccasin boots and a belt buckle fashioned to look like a woman's hand. Which pretty much eliminates my need to elaborate.

There are twisted gags aplenty, like a series of "cat porn" photos — cats lying on their backs or cleaning one another — which just goes to show that dirty is in the eye of the beholder. Or SpongeBob SquarePants surrounded by frolicking sea nymphs. Or the old paint-something-naughty-on-another-painting shtick. Or a little-too-lovingly forged cast iron — um — member, complete with prickly metal hairs.

Revelers will encounter the obligatory fetish photos, along with conventional nudes and garden-variety Hot Chick and Random Sex Act illustrations (see high school stoner art reference above).

There are also some genuinely provocative and interesting works, like Ron Zakrin's painting of a campfire with strategically arranged logs and flames. Those who recall the winning entry from last year's Metro Times Photo Contest will recognize a certain flame-haired model in a series by Chris Gustafson.

About a third of the show's art is purported to be from women artists, most notably Niagara, Tracee Miller and Rachael Reed (whose painted and bespangled bras will be modeled at the show by roving vixens). Other better-known contributors include Mark Arminsky (who has submitted a rather patriotic, very velvety tribute to Larry Flynt), illustrator Glenn Barr, Matt Gordon, Paul Snyder and Dave Krieger.

Art prices range anywhere from $100 to $5,000 but average around $250.

Other "dirty" festivities will include barely clad babes sporting pasties, transsexual beverage servers, "go-go boys," twisted puppeteers the Gepetto Files, dominatrix Lady Pain, and several performance poets reciting their erotic odes. Burlesque shows will be performed on both Friday and Saturday nights (with both acts featuring the Metro Times' very own Sarah Klein). Other features (such as a kissing booth of a particularly unsavory sort, several installation pieces and various performance acts) remain a secret.

The show, organized by Glenn Barr along with Jeremy Harvey and Jerry Vile, is sponsored in part by the San Francisco lowbrow art mag Juxtapoz. If you can brush off the overplayed "ooh, how shocking" vibe, these three evenings just might offer a real surprise or two. And keep an eye out for a guy wearing a ladyfinger belt buckle. I'd give him $20 for it — now that I'd frame.

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