Nudes & Prudes

[P3D <Linnstaedt@xxxxxxx>]

Steve Owsley writes:
>I...don't think nude subjects belong in general competition.  <

Let us lift this fig leaf....  One is viewing slides at a _competition_; as
art.  We are not describing slides shown at a Sunday school picnic.  A
competition is intended to be about images; its audience is people interested
in images.  The audience is not looking at a nude body; they are looking at a
PHOTOGRAPH of a nude body.  Two books which thoroughly discuss this topic are
_The Male Nude in Contemporary Photography_ by Melody Davis (Temple
University Press, Philadelphia) and _The Homoerotic Photograph_ by Allen
Ellenzweig (Clumbia University Press, New York).

>  the images I saw had an undercurrent of sexuality that was not
particularly appealing to me. <

So you didn't like them.  Next slide, please.

>Why take the chance of offending members of the audience....[with] slides
that may be appealing to 75% of the audience, yet perhaps disturbing or
unpleasant to the other 25%....<

As an art-photographer, I question why a majority of the audience should be
_held captive_ to the "25%" (actual number probably far fewer!) shocked by
nudity.  This being a competition (or even an exhibition) of photographic
images, nudes are already being viewed in a most appropriate venue.  Why
would anyone interpret nudes -- in a photographic competition -- as a
peep-show?  Revoltingly vulgar images will stand out as the trash they are,
while also revealing they are actually not as (enjoyably) erotic as an
artistically rendered nude!

Some of you protest "we must protect the children", and I wholeheartedly
agree!  So, parents should deny their children's access to inappropriate
images. This should not be done by denying the photographic community's
access, but by putting the kids to doing something more age-appropriate.  The
kids would probably rather watch "Jurassic Park" or go to Discovery Zone than
be dragged to yet another of Dad's meetings.

Here in Fort Worth, the Amon Carter Museum has Thomas Eakins' "Swimming"
(picturing men skinny-dipping) displayed with the studies prepared in it's
creation.  It had hung for years in the Ft. Worth Public Library, where
persons of all ages could enjoy this masterpiece.  The people of this city
consider it a treasure and a heritage.

This thread reminds me of a discussion with two church ladies.  One was
describing her revulsion to seeing "full-frontal-male-nudity" while viewing
"The Piano".  I interjected, "I see full-frontal male nudity every day."
"You do? ! ! "
"Every morning in the mirror."  Then we laughed and went on with our lives.

Stereoscopically yours, Robert Linnstaedt


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