vector art

We found this little snippet in the pages of the New York Post

December 1, 2007 -- The New York Public Library is under fire for showing photos of Bush officials doctored to look like police mug shots.

The pictures, by artists Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese, are part of an exhibit privately financed at the library, which receives public funding.

GOP spokesman Matthew Walter called it a "political attack."
The library said the exhibit has no political agenda.

From New York Public Library Online:

Nora Ligorano (American, born 1956) and
Marshall Reese (American, born 1955)
Line Up
Portfolio of eight digital prints with colophon and DVD
Brooklyn: Madness of Art Editions, 2006
Harper #4

For more than twenty years, Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese have used art to address political and social issues. In Line Up, present and former high-ranking government officials, including George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Alberto Gonzales, and Karl Rove (Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz are not on view here), appear in a series of fake mug shots. They hold slates inscribed with numbers that refer to specific dates when the “suspects” made “incriminatory” statements about Iraq. President Bush in his State of the Union address on January 28, 2003, reported, “Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa…. He clearly has much to hide.” On January 25, 2002, Alberto Gonzales reported to President Bush, “[t]his new paradigm renders obsolete Geneva’s strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions.” In an accompanying DVD, these and other officials are heard making their assertions; the pop of a flashbulb is then followed by the mug shot of the speaker, growing progressively larger until it more than fills the screen. The screen goes dark, and a metallic clunk, presumably the sound of a prison door slamming shut, ends each sequence.

From the New York Post article:

The library said the exhibit has no political agenda.

From the Library's website:

For more than twenty years, Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese have used art to address political and social issues.

No political agenda?

Denial is more than just a river in Egypt.

By LBG
Source - New York Post
Source - New York Public Library Online



DBKP.com - Bigger, Better!.
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page

PreSchool-Grade 2–Willy is not good at math but excels at swimming. He and his nemesis, Butch, practice every day for the Great Swimming Race. Finally, armed with goggles, a number, and two maps, he and 300 million other competitors swim madly for the prize–the egg inside Mrs. Browne. Willy is a sperm. All his practicing pays off and he victoriously burrows into the "lovely and soft" egg, which grows and grows in Mrs. Browne's tummy until it becomes a baby girl. But "Where had little Willy gone? Who knows?

Source - Amazon.com - Where Willy Went

The Library Board in Chandler, Arizona decided against "banning" the sex-ed book for four year-olds, "Where Willy Went" after receiving complaints from residents who wanted them "moved or removed".

The board took their responsibility to the public seriously," Library Manager Brenda Brown said. "In the end, they recognized that banning the materials or restricting their access was not in the public's best interest, and that parents need to be diligent in reviewing what their kids are looking at."

Yesterday DBKP posted a story about the Denver Public Library's refusal to help police catch the child porn operators whom authorities found were using the library's computer to trade their "materials."

Public Libraries: Safe Havens For Kiddie Porn

Now comes word that the librarians in Chandler feel keeping books such as "Where Willy Went," are in the "public's best interest."

More on "Where Willy Went" a children's book listed at Amazon for ages 4-8.

However, when little Edna is old enough to start school, she isn't very good at math but she IS very good at swimming. This breezy and amusing romp may not resolve those pesky questions about reproduction but it certainly lends personality to the process of fertilization. The double-entendre title is indicative of the cheeky and humorous text, which is lively, well paced, and essentially accurate. The line and watercolor illustrations perfectly suit the irreverent tone and include a lift-the-flap expanded page and a "find Waldo"-style spread. Both sperm and humans are endearingly expressive. As to the science, an unclothed Mr. and Mrs. Browne are anatomically correct but the racing map of Mrs. Browne's reproductive system is confusingly vague. Nonetheless, adult readers will be thoroughly entertained and children will be charmed if not completely informed. While a relatively innocuous and engaging piece of sex ed, this title could be a potentially provocative addition to picture-book collections.–Carol Ann Wilson, formerly at Westfield Memorial Library, NJ

Ms. Wilson writes: Children will be charmed if not completely informed...

Who in the library made the decision that four year-olds were in need of "sex education?" Why would a four year-old need to know about sperm? Why does Ms. Wilson remark that the title of the book could be "a potentially provocative addition to picture book collections?"

If librarians believe all reading materials should be available then I'm off to the local library for the latest edition of Hustler. A friend of mine told me, "if you find the Hustler, you'll find "Where Willy Went."

By LGB

Source - AZCentral.com - Library Board says 'no' to removing materials




DBKP.com - Bigger, Better!.
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.