T.Venkanna: ART OR NOT.

As a start, I've never really been able to accept and appreciate nude art. Not even after the years of SOVA influences. Perhaps I can understand why some neo-classisist choose to paint nude women, but naked figures in contemporary art is just quite nonsensical to me. Yes, sure, these kind of art definitely will attract more attention, cause controversies to arise etc, but is art really just for the large amount of audience that probably don't even know what the true meaning behind your work is? In our modern society, people who get interested are probably perverts.

So anyway, on to T. Venkanna. "The Two Fridas", a naked man, remove trappings of identity, a live installation, $250. Hmm, they just don't really link to me. Since the artist never really released any statement to provide explanation for his artwork, its really confusion me.

To me, only the Frida Kahlo painting is quite significant in his installation because from some sources, I saw that his "customers" and him actually posed in the way the two Fridas were posing in the painting. Perhaps he is trying to say that yo can actually connect/communicate with a naked man too(?!) since the painting was trying to show Frida and her imaginary friend whom was the only one she could turn to when her divorce was being filed. This shows how you can be friends with/turn to anyone no matter his/her identity as long as you guys understand each other.

So, anyway, is he trying to 'remove the trappings of identity' by showing how everyone is the same without clothes? (or at least all men?) Then my question is, why did he return after a 2 day hiatus (due to much complaints), fully clothed to continue his exhibition? If being naked was a really important part of his exhibition, wouldn't he lose the true meaning behind his art? And if being naked wasn't that important afterall, WHY DID HE GO NAKED IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Next, he charges people $250 for a photo with him. Is he trying to find out how many people are willing to pay so much merely for a photo with a man you don't even know? Well, I guess that kind of relates to his theme in a way how people, without knowing his identity is willing to take a photo with him, without only doing so because he is famous or important or whatsoever. However, to me, if this was what he's trying to convey, he shouldn't have charged so much, or even charge for this act. It denies many from experiencing his art just because they think the price is unreasonable. I understand that it is his mean of survival, but he shouldn't have made it so obvious that it's daylight robbery.

To me, I bet the people who willingly took a photo with have no freaking idea what he is trying to convey, but simply because they think it's "interesting" and "unusual".

Alright, conclusion time. Besides some of his flaws in the execution, I shall (surprisingly) conclude that his installation IS a piece of art, not just 滥竽充数, I believe there is a significance behind his art. The only problem is he did not offer his explanation! If he did, I believe his work would have been much more significant, because right now he's just making poor students like us make assumptions about his intentions and pray they make sense to the teachers. I might have sounded a bit harsh about this nudity, but this is purely objective, I just have a thing against nude art, so in this area, I shall give no more comments. But I do think it means something to him, just that we don't know what and how.

Oh and, I have thought about it again, I shall take back the part where I accused him of rip-off, because I just remembered it was an art fair, so he was supposed to make a lot of money through 'selling' his installation. Sorry for my quite contradicting points, it's just, the work itself is messing with my brain cells, because THERE IS NO EXPLANATION FROM THE ARTIST HIMSELF! It's art to me, as long as I understand the significance behind the works. Or maybe he is just trying to draw different interpretations of his work from different people.

Omg, ugh, i totally didn't expect this to be so long. i guess i just got a wee bit too agitated