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Jun. 30th, 2011 06:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cblj_backupThe alteration to this print is not initially evident, but closer inspection reveals that this predominantly naked Apollo is missing his genitalia. A viewer deliberately scraped away the ink at the god's crotch in a campaign of extremely localized censorship. Given how modestly Apollo was originally endowed, this change does not significantly alter the image overall. Rather, the god's sizable arrow quiver dangles more provocatively between his legs than his own penis ever did. The objecting viewer, apparently lacking a grasp of age-old visual puns, may not have realized that, with his alteration, the visual emphasis merely shifted to this larger and more obvious phallus substitute.
THIS IS THE FINEST MUSEUM INFORMATIONAL PLACARD I HAVE EVER READ.
I nipped down to the Art Institute this evening, because it's open late on Thursdays, and went to re-explore the "Altered And Adorned: Renaissance Prints In Daily Life" exhibit, which is closing July 10th. The text above is on a placard next to the work "Apollo Slays Python", which is tucked WAY IN THE BACK CORNER of the back room of the exhibit. Just for you guys, I dug up a copy of the image. That one has the penis intact, but you can see what they mean about Apollo's giant swingin' quiver.
I want to find the person who wrote that placard and buy them a drink. I don't think I've ever laughed that hard in a museum in my life.
THIS IS THE FINEST MUSEUM INFORMATIONAL PLACARD I HAVE EVER READ.
I nipped down to the Art Institute this evening, because it's open late on Thursdays, and went to re-explore the "Altered And Adorned: Renaissance Prints In Daily Life" exhibit, which is closing July 10th. The text above is on a placard next to the work "Apollo Slays Python", which is tucked WAY IN THE BACK CORNER of the back room of the exhibit. Just for you guys, I dug up a copy of the image. That one has the penis intact, but you can see what they mean about Apollo's giant swingin' quiver.
I want to find the person who wrote that placard and buy them a drink. I don't think I've ever laughed that hard in a museum in my life.
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Date: 2011-06-30 11:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 12:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-07-01 12:03 am (UTC)Also, now I want to start a band called God's Crotch.
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Date: 2011-07-01 12:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-07-01 12:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 12:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-07-01 12:20 am (UTC)My day has been made.
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Date: 2011-07-01 01:03 am (UTC)>D
Also, are you familiar with Ursula Vernon's phalloi art? Here's (http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=phalloi#/d1vkaj9) a fine example of one of her odder works, though I have to admit to a fondness for this one. (http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=phalloi#/d1pxjo0)
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Date: 2011-07-02 11:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-07-01 01:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 01:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 01:41 am (UTC)HAHAHA, that is indeed a gigantic quiver! A GIGANTIC COCKLIKE QUIVER.
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Date: 2011-07-01 10:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-07-01 01:42 am (UTC)icklemanhood immoral?no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 02:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-07-01 02:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 02:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 02:41 am (UTC)I love that the fractured penis tag is proving surprisingly versatile!
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Date: 2011-07-01 03:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-07-01 03:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 10:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 04:03 am (UTC)Everyone loves Apollo the dickless wonder, I guess! Also, I should probably go see it.
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Date: 2011-07-01 10:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-07-01 08:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 10:16 am (UTC)And it's made more awesome by the fact that I just submitted my masters dissertation.
...as I'm telling everyone I can find. :-D
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Date: 2011-07-01 10:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-07-01 11:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 01:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 03:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 03:27 pm (UTC)The Altered and Adorned curator speaks!
Date: 2011-07-01 04:32 pm (UTC)I'm the curator of Altered and Adorned: Using Renaissance Prints in Daily Life, and I work at the Art Institute. There are plenty more penis jokes to be had if you consider the fact that the anatomy flap prints on view in the next room has a literally pop-up penis (and other intentionally removable organs) . . . Check it out in the catalogue, on the Art Institute blog (http://blog.artic.edu/blog/2011/06/09/more-organs/) and most importantly, in the exhibition before it closes on July 10!
Suzanne Karr Schmidt
P.S. Feel free to contact the museum for my email at aic.publicaffairs@artic.edu if you've enjoyed the show. I might even give you a tour if you act quickly enough.
P.P.S. Despite Apollo's indeed rather modest endowment, there is at least one other impression of the print with a very localized hole. Who knew he'd be so objectionable!!?
Re: The Altered and Adorned curator speaks!
Date: 2011-07-01 04:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-01 10:20 pm (UTC)That really cheered me up and made my day ♥
Once Again into the Breech!
Date: 2011-07-05 07:16 pm (UTC)Since your previous coverage of my exhibit was so revealing, here's my final post to the Art Institute blog. This exchange is getting a little meta, but what the heck . . . (note the extreme detail!) Also, I plead innocent for the choice of the verb 'bone up'.
cheers,
Suzanne
Re: Once Again into the Breech!
Date: 2011-07-06 12:08 am (UTC)Whenever I visit the exhibit I see things I missed before -- this latest time it was the reliquary with the actual relic still in it. So I guess I see bones every time I go...:)
Anyway, I've linked the new blog post here, just in case you'd like to see:
http://copperbadge.livejournal.com/3316983.html
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Date: 2011-07-06 11:18 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2011-07-08 12:55 pm (UTC)