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Life & Arts

Exhibit brings modern meaning to sex

DiverseWorks currently featuring two shows that each offer unique portrayals of eroticism

By Amy Perez
The Daily Cougar

Parking was as chaotic as the midday rush in the student lots Friday night at the opening receptions of Contemporary Erotic Drawing and Le Dernier Cri: Comix Revolution at DiverseWorks. Both exhibitions on display until March 5, share the same sexually-charged experimental quality and differ only in the presentation and form of their human subjects and related matter.

The show Le Dernier Cri (a French expression that translates literally as "the last cry") features over 50 picture books that often combine racy imagery and satirical text or storylines to offer uninhibited critiques of society's treatment of sex. More than 20 posters line the gallery walls, like artist Stu Mead's "Paradise Lost," a neon-infused personal depiction of Eden, complete with sordid images of children licking ice cream cones and wandering the garden without pants. There is definitely something to be said about the commercialization of sex in this show, as many of the artists seem to be reconstructing content the media puts out in order to sell, yet each actively participates in the sale of his or her own creations. The books in this show are on sale and range from $13 to $115. The posters range from $65 to $75.

Thirty-four artists display their work in Contemporary Erotic Drawing, an exhibition that showcases the personal, biographical side of the sexualized human form. Artist Cecily Brown provides a vivid animated short piece titled "Four Letter Heaven," a flashy, and at times subliminal, retelling of sex sure to keep viewers intrigued for more than a few minutes. 

Su-en Wong's "Yellow Wall" may be an example of what many of our walls would look like if we didn't suppress our sexual appetite daily. The work features seemingly identical nude figures that each appear slightly different from the others, positioned in a neat pattern on a large strip of paper.

With such a large sampling of sexual experiences, fantasies and distortions depicted in drawings and graphics, it would be hard to leave the DiverseWorks galleries without relating to some imagery. Having firsthand access to some incredible work was definitely worth maneuvering through the traffic in the parking lot the night of the opening reception.

Contemporary Erotic Drawing

Le Dernier Cri: Comix Revolution

Jan. 28- March 5, 2005

DiverseWorks, 1117 East Freeway, I-10 at North Main

Gallery Hours: Wed.-Sat. 12 - 6 p.m.
www.diverseworks.org
 

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