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La Dolce Musto: the column

Hillary and Barack Have Been Shot! For Photographs and Art Works!

Posted by Michael Musto at 11:13 AM, March 5, 2008

I love me a good exploitive title that’s designed “to prompt and encourage debates and dialogue,” but which is mainly designed to get press. (At least I’m not pretending I’m on the cover of this week’s Voice as a nude Lindsay Lohan for any other reason than to whorishly grab at some attention—and baby, it’s working.) But the truth is, artist Yazmany Arboleda’s shows, "The Assassination of Hillary Clinton" and "The Assassination of Barack Obama" seem to have some very interesting work in them, dabbling in all the biases and preconceptions about the first serious female and African American Prez campaigners. Both shows “explore the figurative but highly effective attempts by the American populace to assassinate the reputations” of these two Presidential wannabes. More to the point might be the way they’ve been trying to assassinate each OTHER, but in the meantime, you can see these shows at Leah Keller Gallery (576 West 24th Street) and Naomi Gates Gallery (594 West 22nd Street), but only by appointment. And please check all bags.

http://www.theassassinationofhillaryclinton.com

http://www.theassassinationofbarackobama.com

more: politics

comments

Reeg & Kelly had nice things to say about you this morning and held up several of the pix.

Posted by: Dangerous Herbert at March 5, 2008 11:51 AM

Provocative. Innovative. Shameless. Count me out.

Posted by: sarabeth at March 5, 2008 11:58 AM

These exhibits have been closed, pending legal action. It is somehow appropriate that the system is fighting the artists that bring these issues to light, and not the media outlets and figures that fuel the flame.

Posted by: Kerry at March 11, 2008 11:26 AM

I'm totally shocked by the closing of these two exhibits (pending legal action). They can be viewed at:
http://www.theassassinationofhillaryclinton.com/
http://www.theassassinationofbarackobama.com/

Posted by: andrea at March 11, 2008 12:56 PM

Is it just me, or does this smell like a hoax? All the pictures have clearly been Photoshopped and from what I can tell, the gallery address doesn't exist.

Posted by: Harry S-T at March 12, 2008 7:52 PM

hey micahel, did you get to go the first week it was open? two of my friends said that the work felt like it was trying too hard to be offensive....from what i can see on the websites, i kind of love how outlandish all of it is. it seems like the artist had no quams being offensive...kudos to him for that alone

Posted by: Lu at March 17, 2008 10:58 AM

if you ask me, this whole thing is a shameless publicity plot....

I am not sure if that takes away from the fact that the art work while disturbingly offensive it is also very straight and to the point. we live in a society in which we are all biased....

we judge without knowing we are judging and the media has become as essential part of the system. we are born into a society that has so much messaging attacking us from everywhere we look that we don't even realize it....

we are all being fed information and we just take it without realizing that there a million built in intolerance and choice makers...

this exhibit talks about all that....

Posted by: miss k at March 17, 2008 11:08 AM

i know that the Naomi Gates Gallery has done some crazy things in the past....isn't that the place where they had the crazy naked jesus hung to the cross made of chocolate? I read in the news that the guy afterward shattered the whole thing and ate the pieces...INSANE! and I agree with miss k and michael...its all about publicity....


Posted by: michael at March 17, 2008 11:35 AM

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