Gorgeous
Nil Butler horsing around in a set of very dubious pictures (
Vogue Paris) by the always dubious
Steven Klein. Of course I need to say that Mr Butler is more
lupine, than equine - do I quibble? I do so like the lupine.
Of course nothing is quite as dubious as this 'art' video Mr Klein made called
Stag Film, which is truly dubious. You can see it at http://theimagist.com/node/5231 and judge for yourself whether Mr Klein's fascination with 'horse studding' is indeed art or merely prurient.
Stag Film is alsothe title of Mr Klein’s second photographic artist book, following his 2003 collaboration with
Madonna.
Stag Film is issued in an edition of 2,000 copies and a limited, signed edition of 100 copies.
The book reproduces and sequences 60 black-and-white images culled from a larger photographic series on horse studding produced by the photographer. The process of horse studding fascinates Mr Klein, and in
Stag Film he trains his camera on the practice of horse breeding which involves collecting a stallion’s semen for implanting in mares. A stallion is led into the paddock and introduced to a “phantom” mare and using a combination of artificial inducements the stallion is drawn to mount and penetrate the dummy, into which its semen is projected.
Mr Klein is supposedly seeking to expand traditional horse portraiture by "blending an appreciation of the stallion’s beauty with an awareness of the provocative physicality of the breeding act." Mr Klein designed every element of the book, creating a folio sized digest of printed images hidden within a fragile, hand assembled paper box. The box has a cut out window on its cover to reveal the head of the phantom mare.
But as for me, give me a good old fashioned
Chinese horse, like this
Eastern Wei (534–550), ceramic sculpture, any day! Isn't it a truly beautiful thing?
And this lovely
T'ang Dynasty (618-906) ceramic... I want!
Gorgeous Nil Butler horsing around in a set of very dubious pictures (Vogue Paris) by the always dubious Steven Klein. Of course I need to say that Mr Butler is more lupine, than equine - do I quibble? I do so like the lupine.
Of course nothing is quite as dubious as this 'art' video Mr Klein made called Stag Film, which is truly dubious. You can see it at http://theimagist.com/node/5231 and judge for yourself whether Mr Klein's fascination with 'horse studding' is indeed art or merely prurient.
Stag Film is alsothe title of Mr Klein’s second photographic artist book, following his 2003 collaboration with Madonna. Stag Film is issued in an edition of 2,000 copies and a limited, signed edition of 100 copies.
The book reproduces and sequences 60 black-and-white images culled from a larger photographic series on horse studding produced by the photographer. The process of horse studding fascinates Mr Klein, and in Stag Film he trains his camera on the practice of horse breeding which involves collecting a stallion’s semen for implanting in mares. A stallion is led into the paddock and introduced to a “phantom” mare and using a combination of artificial inducements the stallion is drawn to mount and penetrate the dummy, into which its semen is projected.
Mr Klein is supposedly seeking to expand traditional horse portraiture by "blending an appreciation of the stallion’s beauty with an awareness of the provocative physicality of the breeding act." Mr Klein designed every element of the book, creating a folio sized digest of printed images hidden within a fragile, hand assembled paper box. The box has a cut out window on its cover to reveal the head of the phantom mare.
But as for me, give me a good old fashioned Chinese horse, like this Eastern Wei (534–550), ceramic sculpture, any day! Isn't it a truly beautiful thing?
And this lovely T'ang Dynasty (618-906) ceramic... I want!
wow - i'm amazed they actually got the horse to mount the dummy structure (last pic). how did they do that?! and what a large, er, 'weapon'! c'est impressionnant!
ReplyDeleteDear Anon: I think that's where 'horse hung' originated?
ReplyDeleteBoth are lovely, but the last horse, a Tang Sancai, is especially gorgeous. The lines are more streamlined, and thus more life-like, compared to the one from the earlier Wei period.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine how much they would fetch if they were go on the auction market now?
Dear Erudite Anon: Both induce lust in me. I love the patina and the neck on the wei horse, and I love the powerful rump and elegant legs (and it's ceramic!) of the tang horse. I find steven klein very very dubious however, and ultimately pretty banal.
ReplyDeleteKlein is rather typical of a certain type of contemporary american artists (and i use the term 'artists' rather loosely in this context) that strives really hard for profundity but, alas, ends up with mere perversity.
ReplyDeleteother specimens include David Salle, the late Robert Mapplethorpe, Matt Barney etc.
Dear Erudite Anon: I think 'typical' is the perfect word to describe mr klein. the marketing drivel that accompanies this project really makes one roll one's eyes. for as you say - it is merely perversity, and not even truly unusual or, ultimately, interesting. Scratch the surface and all you get is grubby fingernails. It's certainly not 'art'.
ReplyDelete