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Last Updated:
Jan 19th, 2010 - 13:22:35 |
The Dirty Show
Now X and Counting
Well, it was bound to happen. The Dirty Show, that special box of candy presented each Valentine’s Day weekend to the Motor City, is now one decade old and still the hottest looking bitch in town. Something else happened, too. The acclaimed and eagerly anticipated exhibit is finally (dare we write this?) respectable.
By respectable we’re certainly not implying that it’s a watered-down version of its earlier self. What we’re saying is that Detroit can now point with pride at something that has gone from regional to national to international notice. They’re talking about this forthcoming gig in places as far away as Shanghai and Sydney. Heck, those two towns are planning their own versions — and other cities are eager to follow suit.
A little history followed by a disclaimer. According to a charming (if somewhat apocryphal) story, Jerry Vile and several colleagues at Orbit Magazine scribbled a proposal on a fresh or suspiciously soiled cocktail napkin. They envisioned an art event that would be the last word on the erotic — a non-academic, come-as-you-are, BYOB, freewheeling salon of expression with every major Detroit artist participating. The latter, of course, responded enthusiastically. They came, they painted, they vowed to return. Welcome to the present day. Now for that disclaimer.
The Dirty Show is many things — but it is NOT, and NEVER has been, a pornographic hootenanny or a lame exercise in shock value. Its critics (and they are legion) forget that there is a legitimate difference between porn and the erotic. Porn, at best, is entertainment. Eroticism is enlightenment — an experience that not only reminds us that we are sentient beings, but also beings capable of seeing connections that go beyond mere carnality. The Dirty Show is intrigued by the psychology and the philosophy of ecstasy. It’s not just sex on your brain; it’s your brain on sex.
One would think that after ten years there’d be no need for that kind of clarification, but Jerry Vile knows differently. “People think we’re a dance or a rave or that it’s some sort of underground orgy. People are either offended by what they see — or not offended enough! It depends entirely on your personality if anything here is going to shock you.”
The personalities of the artists is another key factor in the event, and with hundreds of talented people involved, even a dozen dropped names wouldn’t be representative — or fair. Vile is pleased with the many new participants (Clive Barker, for example), but he’s especially happy with those who are showing up for a third or fourth time.
“I think photographer B.T. Charles is a perfect example of a Dirty Show artist. He went from virtual obscurity to having his works shown in museums and being featured in books published by Taschen. His new work is really amazing — fine art that is equally beautiful and disturbing. He’s a master when it comes to a visual discipline that relies on imagination and skill, not the short-cuts provided by Photoshop or other tools.”
So come on down and see for yourself. And think for yourself. And then judge for yourself. Freedom is freedom whether it’s in your head or your heart or between your legs. | RDW
Dirty Show • 2/6-2/14 • Bert’s Warehouse Theatre
More info: dirtyshow.org or myspace.com/dirtyshowdetroit
Bert’s Warehouse Theatre is located at 2739 Russell St. Detroit, MI 48207
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