From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: 12/25/02-10:42:49 PM Z
On Wed, 25 Dec 2002 Ender100@aol.com wrote:
> So here I sit alone on Christmas Eve in Florida pondering the difference
> between cockroaches and palmetto bugs. Now to me, a native of Illinois, they
> look like cockroaches. But, I've never heard a cockroach sing before and
> these suckers can sing like a bird! And they are about as big as a bird...
We have WATERBUGS (they probably LOVE pee) sometimes called German
roaches. And they DO fly, though only for special occasions. They're
probably not as big as palmetto bugs, but everything is smaller in this
city where real estate is so expensive -- supermarkets, apartments, sofas,
etc.
> So anyway, once I tired of pondering roach/palmetto bug, I read your response
> to my question, which was quite clear. And I do understand the issues of
> gender, power, peeing, and being nekkid. I've done all of them, though not
> usually at the same time and not necessarily in that order.
There does seem to be a recent genre where '"transgression" is cute,
usually done now by women.... But that's not this case. The variable is
who's in charge. Unless you're trafficking in S&M, which is not this
discussion either.
> Before I go on, I think there is a great show at the Center for Creative Pho
> tography—an exhibit called "Girl Culture" by Lauren Greenfield (female
> photographer) that powerfully adresses some of the issues you raise. I was
> fortunate enough to see it recently.
> http://www.library.arizona.edu/branches/ccp/home/home.html
The reviews I read sort of sneered at it -- which means nothing of
course... Glad to know you liked it. The show I REALLY hope to get to is
John Evans collages at NY Historical Society through March 9. I LOVE that
man's work.
The other one I hope to get to is Louis Stettner at Bonni Benrubi, through
Jan 25. Supposedly "Unseen Stettner, 1946-2002,"
> Let's take a wild leap from reality and assume that I am not a dirty old man
> that just wants to get young girls nekkid, that I am just as interested in
> photographing males as females, and let's assume that I would photograph both
> young and old and obese and skinny and black and white and brown and yellow
> and green (this would include grinches), and pretty and ugly and pretty
> ugly.... every combination you can imagine... I am MR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY....
> so now... what do I do if I find the HUMAN body an interesting subject to
> photograph? How do I do that without walking into the valley of the shadow
> of the grinch?
I wish you'd do that... so few folks do. But look at John Dugdale's
photographs -- men & women as PEOPLE, mixed groups, alone, his brother &
sister included... the body is loved. When we were in art school we had
all kinds of models -- the fat ladies were the most fun to draw. At least
until you've done the rest, just stay away from pretty young girl... this
is not a good time for that as main subject for a man. (and it's all
social anyway, isn't it?)
> OK, one plea I will make in advance to the grinch... please your
> grinchness.... do not say that there is no reason to do it because it has
> already been done... that would launch me into another discussion that might
> screw up my New Years Eve party...and I've already paid dearly for young,
> shapely cocktail waitresses wearing Catholic Schoolgirl outfits to cater the
> damn thing.
Everything's been done. But as friend of mine says, "As far as I'm
concerned it hasn't been done until I've done it."
As for kissing Santa Claus... there's some movie poster out of two guys
hugging, I think the coast is clear for kissing Santa Claus, tho by next
year maybe old hat. Anyway the catholic schoolgirls sound like a hit.
Happy New Year to you and all, and to all a good night...
Judy
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