i'm no good at posting stuff, so i'm pulling the below from animalnewyork.com
New York City: On December 8, a day before ANIMAL's PARADISE group show opened at the Chelsea Market, Chris Savido's painting "Bush Monkeys" was banned from the show by the Chelsea Market management, in response to pressure from conservative extremists. The picture has been moved, along with the other 40 works from the PARADISE show, to the ANIMAL gallery on 9th street.
Over the last eight days "Bush Monkeys" has become a lighting rod for discussions about censorship and freedom around the world, with hundreds of news outlets reporting on the censorship and the state of free speech in America today. Many people we respect and admire have joined in to voice their support for free speech, including New York Representative Louise Slaughter and Rosie Perez.
What has surprised everyone is that THIS image was considered controversial. "Bush Monkeys," by any measure, is an intelligent, civil and beautiful expression of the artist's frustrations with the current Presidential administration. It is a wonderful example of responsible and effective political criticism.
What is alarming is that a public market that serves one of the most liberal communities in America would censor such a reasonable image
Many have volunteered to help ANIMAL and Chris explore the First Amendment violations related to this censorship. Precedent indicates that public spaces within private commercial environments are equally protected by the First Amendment as they are by private property rights. We are looking into the degree to which the Chelsea Market walkways are legally definable as "public space," and, as such, fully protected by the First Amendment.
At this point ANIMAL and Chris have concluded that the best thing to do is to use the positive attention this piece has gotten to do make a difference.
As a result, we have decided to auction "Bush Monkeys" and donate the profits to two worthy causes:
Many of Chris's friends are fighting in Iraq now. Chris would be there himself if he hadn't gone to art school. He wants to give back to them and to other young soldiers who find themselves at heightened risk not only because they are being rotated back into battle for a 4th time through the "back door draft," but because they are not being provided with the protective gear needed to survive.
This is a personal issue for Chris, and, in our opinion, it should be a personal issue for all Americans. We firmly believe that committing troops to unjustified conflicts fundamentally damages our volunteer military, erodes our international support and wastes valuable dollars that could be used to help the US maintain its economic viability in an increasingly competitive world -- all of which threaten to destroy the foundation of integrity and strength upon which our freedom relies. The fact that we are wasting money and lives in an unjustified struggle actually leaves us unprepared to support our allies in more potentially pressing struggles.
If we exhaust our volunteer forces in unnecessary conflicts, our only response to a truly pressing conflict will be a draft. We believe this country does not need a draft. It simply needs a responsibly utilized volunteer army.
In discussion with friends and around the office, some people have asked us why we would do anything to support the war. We would not and do not. This war -- or, more accurately, occupation -- is unjustified and should end. We want to make it clear that this is a personal matter for Chris, and a priority for ANIMAL. According to recent reports unveiled in congress and the press, 1 in 4 soldiers who die in Iraq could have been saved if they had been provided with adequate armor, including body armor and armored Humvees. These kids enlisted in the military to get an education and defend the US against terrorism and other serious threats, not to fight in an unjustified war that only makes the rich richer and does nothing tangible to combat terrorism.
We hope ART FOR ARMOR will save the lives of some young people who HAVE offered their lives for the defense of our liberties. We also hope that it will serve as an indictment of an Administration that not only rushed us into an unjustifiable conflict, but also has failed to adequately protect the lives of those it has put on the front lines.
ANIMAL is an art publisher and exhibitor; Chris is an artist. We're committed to helping support art and the freedom of expression that it depends on. Therefore, in addition to helping the young people who are serving with their lives, we want to help the young people who are serving with their ideas.
We will use the other half of the profits from the sale of this piece to help disadvantaged kids pay for an education in the arts. Students who have the drive and desire to play an expressive and contributing role in our free country should have access to the tools that empower expression. We hope that the auction of "Bush Monkeys" can help foster the next generation of creative patriots.
EBAY
Bidding starts today on EBAY. We decided to use EBAY because it is a proven and easy-to-use system that allows anyone in the world to participate. The title of the auction on EBAY is CENSORED ANIMAL: SAVIDO BUSH MONKEYS PAINTING AUCTION.
Payment
Payment will be arranged directly with the winning bidder through a formal set of calls and meetings. Depending on how much we raise, we will institute and fund a not-for profit entity that will hold and administer the funds.
Oversight
We have engaged management consulting firm Fractal LLC (www.fractalllc.com) to oversee the establishment of this entity and to help develop the system by which auction funds will be responsibly distributed.
Use of Proceeds
25% of everything under $50,000 and 50% of everything over $50,000 will be contributed to these initiatives. As part of the terms of sale, we will guarantee that the winning bidder receives a complete report of the use of the funds on a monthly basis.
Administration of Proceeds
Some people have asked how these funds will be distributed. How, for instance, do we plan to get this body armor to the troops.
For the ART FOR ARMOR program, we will work through the people who know best -- the parents. The parents are the ones who hear the truth from the front line, and have the ability and right to help their kids. Any parent who feels his or her child is not being adequately protected should contact us, and we will try to help.
For ART FOR EDUCATION we will post an application form on this website so that young people can apply in person. We will select candidates on the basis of need, talent and desire.
Matching Funds
Once the auction is finished, and the funds are in place, we will also try to secure matching funds and/or additional contributions from patriotic companies and individuals who share our beliefs and think this is a good way to help.
If you have any questions about the auction or the program, please send us an email at info@animalnewyork.com and we will get back to you promptly. Please be sure to include your name, phone number, email and the best time to reach you.
it made me so mad. yeah the owner had a right to pull the piece as it was a private exhibit and his place i believe but for someone whod host an exhibition id think he would be one to support artistic expression of whatever form
yebutz
I'm lost
March 2003
DEC 23, 2004 04:33 AM