|
Tenderness
Relationships are
fragile. I went through a period in my life where quantity was
more important than quality. I went so far as to put a mirror
above my bed. Sex had become a spectator sport.
"Sleeping Beauty"
was taken one morning when emotions ran deeper that normal. She
was a keeper but I wasn't ready to change my ways.
I'm always surprised
by the variety of people who buy this photograph from me. Most
say the tenderness is what appeals to them. Many ask about the
perspective, but when I tell them it's my elbow in the upper
left corner they get it.
A lesbian couple
once complemented me on it and asked if I'd come to their home
and take a similar photograph of them together. I politely refused
explaining, "I don't do work for hire".
"Art police"
at festivals and Southern Baptists in the Bible Belt are the
only people who have taken offence. One Sunday morning returning
to my booth with a cup of coffee, I found a Sargent of the Norfolk,
VA Police Department waiting for me. He told me to take this
picture down or go to jail! We engaged in a heated debate about
censorship that drew a crowd of artists and patrons. Looking
around, I saw the crowd was with me, but the one who mattered
most was holding his ground.
I wondered if there
wasn't room for a compromise, so I excused myself and went to
my "office" in the corner of my booth. I scribbled
a few words and came back with a nipple-sized Post-It Note. Sticking
it to the glass and covering the offending area I stepped back
and revealed it to the officer. It read: "Must be 18 to
Lift".
The crowd laughed
and cheered while the Sargent, red-faced, turned on his heels
and left. |