I don't know if this can be attributed to an "environment of fear" foisted upon the nation by the current administration, or that the manager of the Chelsea Market is a big Bush supporter, feared some kind of political or public repercussion, or is just a humorless dipshit, but "Bush Monkeys" cavort no more in Chelsea:
- "Bush Monkeys," a small acrylic on canvas by Chris Savido, created the stir at the Chelsea Market public space, leading the market's managers to close down the 60-piece show that was scheduled to stay up for the next month.
...."We had tons of people, like more than 2,000 people show up for the opening on Thursday night," said show organizer Bucky Turco. "Then this manager saw the piece and the guy just kind of flipped out. 'The show is over. Get this work down or I'm gonna arrest you,' he said. It's been kind of wild."
Turco took the show down on Saturday and moved the art work to his small downtown Animal Gallery. Calls to the management of Chelsea Market for comment were not returned.
From afar, the painting offers a likeness of Bush, but when you get closer you see the image is made up of chimpanzees or monkeys swimming in a marsh.
....Savido plans to auction the painting and donate proceeds to an organization dedicated to freedom of expression.
"This is much deeper than art. This is fundamental American rights, freedom of speech," Savido said. "To see that something like this can happen, especially in a place like New York City is mind boggling and scary." [AP]
- "I approached them with the idea of bringing an edgy show by emerging artists here. I showed them an issue of our magazine, and they were psyched," said Mr. Turco
Article comments
1 - Aaman
This is creative art, is what.
Seriously, how much creative cojones do you need to think of something like this? It might be in bad taste, but that never stopped artists before.
2 - Eric Olsen
I think it's clever, funny, and very well done - and I voted for Bush. And like you said Aaman, it's art - leave it alone.
3 - Eric Berlin
Doesn't this dude realize that his efforts to censor this art are only going to publicize it 100-fold?
I never would have seen it, for one.
I guess dude (and many, many, many others like him) just don't get it.
Eric Berlin
Dumpster Bust: Miracles from Mind Trash
http://dumpsterbust.blogspot.com
4 - Eric Olsen
I think the guy was already about to burst a blood vessel over hte party getting much more lively than he anticipated with the open bar and hipsters dancing on the furniture and when he saw the picture that he thought had been taken down, he, as the man said, "flipped."
So I don't think much thought at all went into it, but your point is absolutely correct, Eric