Sarah Palin in Philly Pub
How important is Pennsylvania?
Palin will be at the Irish Pub on Walnut Street [Philadelphia] on Friday night for a public debate watching party, if the debate between John McCain and Barack Obama continues as planned.And last week, while I was gone to Florida, McCain had a huge rally in my crib in Media, PA. A few days earlier, Biden was also in Media, but his rally was at a local orchard.
By the way, we recently went apple picking at that orchard and now we have a million pounds of apples. I could use some good apple recipes!
3 comments:
I was just at an art gallery website in which the (nice, smiling, white couple) owners in Charlottesville, VA are openly left and political. I have never seen this before: an art gallery exhibiting standard modern artwork and blatant politicizing by the gallery owners outside of the work itself. The artwork shown is not aggressive or preachy. Most of it you could put in a modernist house and it would fit right in. And here on this gallery website blog the owners are attacking Sarah Palin! I knew many abstract and so-called modern artists in the 70s and 80s who were very conservative politically. The laser artist I worked for was a good ol' boy from Missouri. Many of the dealers were probably conservative, being independent business people, but kept politics out of the way regardless. I'd like to ask the artists in this gallery how they feel about the politicalization of their work, since they are being used to further the owners left-wing agenda. Or is this something that is now taken for granted, spilling out of the schools? I know that art schools, like all universities, are very left-wing these days but do they really buy into it or do they just go along for expediency and because its "cool"? Whatever it is, this gallery is disturbing because it indicates how subtle prods, to a supposedly free individual, work to influence him at his deepest and most personal level. Its here if you want to see it: http://artpark.typepad.com/artblog/. I'd much prefer sermonizing that is more open and honest because the artists may not even be aware that they are being used by their much-exercized dealers and teachers. Its this creepy head-fake of a smiling diversity and multiculti facade that's upsetting to me.
Personally, my own belated awakening to head-fake politics began with the gays and Act-Up in the early 90s. While I am not a homosexual myself I certainly had no particular problem with gays that I knew or their sexual orientation, as long as they respected mine. But I noticed that Act-Up began sounding as if they spoke for all artists in their shrill demands. I began to question their tactics and subsequently to question their agenda. They were using me and my talent, hard work and the non-political traditions I loved, none of whom were consulted, to add weight and credibility to their own agenda by exploiting the wholly fictional connection between the centuries-old status of the artist in the West to left-wing politics and gay rights. I did not buy it. It was all done with subterfuge and it insulted my integrity and sullied the tradition of thousands of artists both alive and dead and even unborn. I was being used and coerced and I can tell you it contributed to change me as an artist and a voter, but not in the way they wanted. If you really love the arts, be careful lefties, this kind of tactic might backfire in unforeseen ways that could hurt us all.
Anon,
I think that the political leanings or opinions of a gallery owner does not reflect the political leanings of their artists, and both the owners and the artists are free to express their political opinions any way they wish, or keep them private.
LC
Dear anonymous,
Since you are referring to our gallery and blog, I thought I'd take a moment and respond to your ugly comment.
"I'd like to ask the artists in this gallery how they feel about the politicalization of their work, since they are being used to further the owners left-wing agenda."
Feel free to talk to any of our artists. I'm pretty sure they would not feel their work is being "used". Political opinions are expressed on our blog, which is separate from the gallery's website, although there is a link. I don't believe we spell out any "agenda", nor can I figure out how you or anyone would think we are using our artists' work to further some agenda. The gallery makes no political contributions, but it's owners, as human beings have and share politcal opinions. We have yet to stage a rally at the gallery. I'm sorry for your unpleasant experiences, but don't project them onto our gallery or onto our artists. I know all of our artists are pleased to be represented by us. We treat them more than fairly financially and with respect and kindness, and they in turn treat us the same. Our relationships with our artists are the reason we opened our gallery. Your assumptions are offensive and incorrect and you have insulted our integrity.
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