So, recently Frank hops on Twitter and Tumblr to express some unclear emotion. He posted a very vague message on his Tumblr saying,

This post has led some to believe he may be leaving music…..or seeking attention.   Earlier, he said that quitting is the new black…so maybe he is following a trend.

It’s likely just another rant (maybe someone upset him) as he has also posted about how much fun he is having recording in Hawaii this week.

I don’t know what ti say Frank. READ MORE!

It’s all good. It’s actually great that we don’t have to hide ourselves anymore. We can go out and do things in public like “normal” people – like play sports, show PDA, be in the news and on TV. They’re visible. And although I have stressed the importance of visibility of the LGBT community so often, all theses news make me wonder: Are we overemphasizing the “gay” label on these athletes?

Johnny Weir, the American figure skater – gay and 2-time Olympian … Isn’t he a cutie? ^_^ He’s written an autobiography titled “Welcome to My World”.

The answer is a maybe. On the “yes, we’re overdoing it” side: We have these media personnels writing random stuff about these queer athletes which is totally irrelevant to their sports performance. Sure they have their coming out stories and struggles and such inspirational stuff, but the tone I get from the media is, “They’re gay, so are you, so pay more attention to them than other athletes.” Sometimes, it doesn’t even seem to be important what sports they play. And these athletes aren’t even talking about their personal lives at this point. They deserve as much attention as every other athlete.

On the “no, it’s cool” side: (I have no idea about LGBT openness in the previous Olympic Games.) Due to the recent advancements in LGBT rights movements, there is a record breaking number of out athletes in the games. The gay and lesbian stereotypes are effeminate men and butch women respectively, and it is hard for queer sports players to come out – since traditional sports value masculinity for males and femininity for females. This currently highlighted outness only goes to show the fading away of that masculinity-femininity barrier for queer players in the sports world. Also, queer athletes, either consciously or unconsciously, also represent the whole of the queer community besides their home countries. They themselves may be out and in the spotlight, but the community as a whole still remains largely underrepresented, misrepresented, discriminated and oppressed. It’s not their winning medals that matters to us – but it’s all good if they do. What’s important for the LGBT community is that they can be out in public doing great things. After all I’m seeing Americans saying stuff like, “This [insert some ethnic minority in the US] won this medal in this sports.” In the Olympics, you may not only officially represent a country as a sports person, but you also unofficially represent other communities which make up your identity.

It’s just like when Anderson Cooper came out. We don’t need to be told he’s gay. We kinda knew already. But the fact that he was an accomplished top-notch journalist added to the empowerment of the LGBT community. With these athletes, it is empowering that they are able to represent countries and humankind as queer people. But what the news media should be doing more though is: highlight those queer athletes’ coming out stories and how they’d struggled throughout their careers concerning their sexuality, and put down inspirational and educational stories for both queer and non-queer audiences.

Taking a step back, I’d say I was overreacting about the press putting the “gay” label on queer athletes. They’re LGBT news media. Of course, they’d do that. I recently came to know also that, other general media don’t pay much attention, if at all, to the LGBT aspect of the queer athletes at all. We should ask ourselves this: Is it being left out because it doesn’t matter if an athlete is gay or straight, or because the mention of one’s sexuality is still taboo?

Personally, I’d take the “gay” label anytime – well, anytime that’s relevant. Being gay touches a lot of areas of my life. It affects how I express myself and how I express myself is more than half of my life. You can relate my fashion sense, writing style, artistic creations, music choice, pastime activities, etc. “gay“, but call what I cook or the food I eat “gay” I’ll punch you in the face – no, I’ll kick you in the crotch … although there are foods you shouldn’t eat because they’d mess up you and your partner when you’re bottoming.

This brings us to another question: Is it ok to call queer artists’ works “gay”?

I’ve honestly never heard anyone say, “You know, Elton John, the gay singer.” But he’s written some gay songs, about things straight men wouldn’t typically talk about – starting with “Daniel” and sympathizing Marilyn Monroe in “Candle in the Wind”.

The answer here is also maybe. As the “gay” label is important on athletes because sexuality can be a hinderer in their training – probably also with their teammates – the label is also important on artists because personal preferences affect artistic sensitivity. Like I just said, being gay affects how I express myself and thus most everything in my life. Just the other day, an African American friend was differentiating the oppressions that black Americans have faced from those the LGBT people face by stating that race is a status while sexual orientation is a behaviour. Another friend problematizes his statement by pointing out that she is straight whether or not she is having sex, that she doesn’t just stay asexual and become heterosexual once she’s about to have sex. Interesting conversation there, and I would agree with the girl. After all, we’ve been hailing, “Born this way!” Haven’t we? Being gay is both a status and a way of life for me – a status as in the sexual/romantic attraction I feel toward other men is natural and innate, and what I do about it, like my dating life or my sex life, is behavioural.

Artistic expression is behavioural and the context of the an artist’s work derives from how he perceives the things that surround his life. As an example, what would surround the life of a novelist who happens to be gay? Obviously, they’d feel more comfortable and more reasonable imagining a dramatic same-sex romance and writing about it. Not so long ago, I discovered the Scissor Sisters. (Yeah, I know. What have I been doing all this time I’ve been out without listening to the Scissor Sisters?) All the men in the band are gay or something. And their old (straight) drummer had to tell his mom he’s not joining a gay band – suggesting it was just gonna be musical, not gay. Guess what? They became like the gayest group ever, and you can legitimately call them that! They do dance/disco music. And read the lyrics, ’nuff said! I also feel like talking about Pytor Tchaikovsky, but this post’s too long already. Next time, maybe …

What’s so straight about the Scissor Sisters? Maybe that Ana Matronic has a husband, but then again, her dad was gay. They’re just gorgeous and fabulous and all things good and gay!

Original Source Link: 
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20594232,00.html

While the tone of the article seems to be genuinely trying to make light of the ideas being presented, in the course of a few sentences, Maerz makes a lot of generalizations. (i.e. An artists sexual preference usually is indicative of their musical genre, Lambert’s first album “For Your Entertainment” pandered to a straight audience, Gay people aren’t into classic rock, etc.)

While I agree that the article is shallow in it’s belief of these ignorant generalizations, I find pause in the question of whether or not the content is homophobic. I certainly don’t get the impression from reading the article that it’s voice is anti-gay and wouldn’t classify any of the generalizations as “hate speech” but the tone is decidedly condescending. As an out and proud gay man I wouldn’t have been surprised if this article had been written by one “of us”. Believe me, these kinds of stereotypes exist all too often even within our own community but the fact is that the sexuality of the writer behind these words doesn’t justify nor negate the un-professionalism of this piece any more than Lambert’s sexuality determines the relevance or quality of his music. The bottom line is that a journalist for a national magazine should exercise more tact. I would expect that even if this got past some decision makers that at the very least EW’s editors would have the sense to feel the review treads into a few places it never should and drew the focus a little more onto the album than on Lambert’s sexuality and fashion sense.

So in this special edition of Judgement Day, the readers decide! It’s our first ever poll so you can weigh in below! Feel free to add your comments if you’re feeling passionate! I love discussion and feedback.

I would like to start this post by saying that I have seen very very little of RuPaul’s Drag Race and I know that makes me a terribly, terrible gay.

I have no real excuses, to be honest. I did catch somewhere in the vicinty of a half-marathon of season one many years ago on Canada’s MuchMoreMusic. I mostly recall the extreme filter they put over the footage that made everything fall under a hazy glow while the Queens would lip-sync “for their life”. It was glorious, however I moved out into a place on my own and made one of the (potentially smartest but ultimately) silliest decisions a twenty-nine year old bachelor can make: I gave up cable service.

I know, I know! With high speed internet at my fingertips I really don’t have an excuse for not joining in the fun, after all that was two-and-a-half years ago and I’ve managed to keep up on many a television show despite being cable-free. I suspect one rainy day I will give in to the urge to download every season and marathon them without sleeping, but in the meantime I get to experience the occasional little delight in the form of a song or music video from one of it’s alumni. (Shoutout to Jeremy @ “Taking Over The Universe” who is all too often the guy who introduces the work of these Queens to me through his blog! Check him out and follow him on twitter @Gaosalad!)

This time around, however, I had heard a bit of a preview of this track a while back as I work with producer Jared Jones who was developing a soon-to-be-released remix for the single and so, when I saw someone tweeting that a music video for the track was released, I immediately made my way to YouTube to check it out.

Below The Pop Gods present: “Hot Couture” by Manila Luzon:

Did you think it was adorable and amazing like we did? This video has a very simple-but-deliberate stylishness about it and contains that slight, personal touch (with the little boy and his mom side story that seeems to be at least intentionally suggesting autobiography). Manila looks completely gorgeous in a large number of fabulous and bold outfits and both the song and video give me reminiscent vibes of the brilliance of the world’s favorite Drag Mama: RuPaul with “Supermodel” back in 1993 but slightly more down-to-earth and approachable.

“Hot Couture” is a gift from Pop Heaven!

Check it out, here.

Only week week in to my plan to become the next big celebrity blogger, and already I’ve had my first celebrity wedding proposal! I would like to sum up my feelings about it in song…

Read on to find out why my heart is all a’twitter’

So anyone who watched “Platinum Hit” this past summer knows who Scotty Granger is. He was the fly, no nonsense, songwriting-on-point, falsetto-King & vogue-master who was always on the winning team and always chosen first by team captains.

Simply put: he was the guy that should have won. (There, I said it. I’m looking at you, Kara Dioguardi… Jewel… other guy…)

Now, it just so happens that despite that boyfriend of his, whom he even penned a sweet song about on the `Platinum Hit` finale, that he and I are officially betrothed. Don`t believe me? See Exhibit A, below for visual proof.

Exhibit A: The Marriage Propsal

All joking aside, you should check out @ScottyGranger on Twitter! He’s an entertaining and funny guy who seems to really appreciate and connect with his fans! This guy is mad talented in the singing/songwriting department and as far as I’m concerned he is a master of melodies!

He is currently working on a solo album and promises the songs will be even better than what we’ve heard from him on “Platinum Hit.”

I leave you with one of my favorite Scotty Granger / “Platinum Hit” tunes: “World’s Last Spin.”

Maybe we can spin it at the reception.

E! Network, I’ll be waiting for your call…

A portrait of me at 16 by Dennis Helm. Fall,1971. Oil on board with wooden frame. Visible part of painting 15 1/2″ by 19 1/2″.  I took this photo outdoors in full, direct sunlight. 40 years ago, the overall color palette probably looked more like this.

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This photo was also taken outside in full sunlight, this time using my camera’s ‘white balance preset’ option. I liked how this one came out. It better shows the textures, colors and planes of the painting as you see them today. The white balance preset helped make the process less subjective.

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My adolescence

In 1971, I was 16 and living with my mother and two siblings in Lawrence, Kansas. My mom had my portrait painted by her friend, Dennis Helm.

I was uncomfortable sitting for the portrait, self conscious. I felt that way a lot, back then.

This painting has always been, and continues to be for me, charged with emotion. I didn’t think much of it, at one point, and was going to throw it away.

Some of the impressions I’ve had when I look at this painting have been: cynicism, hurt, resentment, worry, fear – maybe even a bit of a pout. Is that the way I looked, back then; how I felt? Is that what Dennis saw in me; or were they his own projections? Is it simply my subjective experience, looking at the painting? I thought it would make an interesting departure point for a blog piece.

Fear, hurt, resentment, alienation, confusion, self-identity – they’re common enough adolescent themes. My own memories of that time are fraught with them. They were volatile, druggy times.

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Then again, like some that I know, I can be my own worst critic. It can color my critical, objective thinking.

Looked at another way, through kinder eyes, I see: awareness, maturity; innocence; sensitivity; intelligence; even beauty.

Yes, call it what you will – the beauty of youth, male beauty, transgender beauty… At that age, place and time, I rejected the very notion of myself as having any beauty. It simply wasn’t an option. It wasn’t something I ever tried to cultivate.

I sometimes wonder – if I could’ve seen the ‘beauty’ in myself, how would it have changed me? It can still be hard to ‘look at myself’ kindly, see the strengths that got me through that difficult time. Mostly, I just shut down any part of that side of myself.

Someone commented to me that perhaps I was uncomfortable with the androgynous quality of the painting. Too true, too true. The gender binary seems to be rooted deeply within me. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing. I think it can  also be a choice or preference. For me, it’s rooted in sensuality.

I know I had issues with androgyny back then; but I thought that I had outgrown them by now.

What do you see in the painting?

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Okay – I have to admit it. I was uncomfortable sitting for Dennis, partly because of these issues with my own sexuality and/or gender. Dennis’ way of speaking was kind of  ‘identifiably gay’. Or as we’d say today, he was perhaps more ‘out’ in that regard. Heavens only knows all the indignities he must’ve suffered. What courage and wisdom! Back then, you really had to believe in yourself, have a lot of self-knowledge, to show up like that. I can see why my mom liked him.

Things were so different back then. I wish I could know him as a friend, today. What a fascinating person he seems to have been.

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Doing research

I decided to photograph the painting so that I could write about it on my blog. I Google’d the artist and was thrilled to find some of his artwork on the Spencer Museum of Art’s website; though I felt grieved when I learned that he had passed so young. Some of his later work was gay-themed and erotic. There were no oil paintings. And nothing like this – a simple portrait, done on commission for a friend. I felt pleased and honored.

You can see the works in the museum’s collection by going to this page on the Spencer Museum of Art website  and scrolling down to his works. (Click on the name of individual works to see details; then click on image to see enlargement.)

My friend Abby encouraged me to do some further research. Other information about Dennis and examples of his artwork were, at least initially, elusive. As I researched him further on the web, I learned a lot and thought it would be nice to compile some of the artwork and information that I found. The Lawrence Journal-World online proved to be an excellent source. I appreciated their scholarly coverage of the Lawrence art scene over the years.

Judy Geer Kellas – a close friend and colleague of Dennis’ – was also very helpful. She generously shared her experiences and perceptions; and contributed several beautiful photos of  Dennis’ works, which gave a considerably wider overview. Learning of their friendship and relationship was inspiring.

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About Dennis Helm & his art

It turned out that Dennis is well known for his portraits – readers sent me photos of some others that he did.

He’s also well known for his landscapes, still lifes and murals. He studied under and worked closely with his friend Robert Sudlow, a noted Kansas landscape painter and art professor.

Of his later work, Lawrence Journal-World arts editor Mason King wrote in 1995, quoting Robert Sudlow: “In the mid-1980’s, his work took an expressionistic turn that mirrored serious changes in his life.

‘He knew he was HIV-positive. He knew he would probably die… I think anyone in that situation would do a lot of soul searching. And changes in the way you look at life influence what you do with your work.’ “

Arts editor Richard LeComte wrote in 1991:

“…his work over the past 10 years has changed drastically from these landscapes. He showed some abstract work in 1988 that was influenced by the artist Albert Bloch. If Sudlow was a father in his creative life, then Bloch was the grandfather. Helm said he painted a whole series of portraits of his friends and others on commission.

His most recent work includes several colorful paintings of male nudes and frequently positive, explosive abstract images, sometimes suggesting medieval etchings or stone figures.”

[Albert Bloch is an American artist associated with the German Expressionist movement who became a long term resident of Lawrence and a professor at the university.]

And he wrote in 1992:

 “In recent years, his painting became more abstract. In works he kept at his home, lithe, sensual figures danced across a canvas.

‘Artwork has to be pulled out by some sort of deep need or interest,’ Mr. Helm told the Journal-World in a 1988 interview. ‘You have to be caught up in it. I didn’t have any choice but to change.’ “

Dennis was a vital part of the Lawrence and Kansas artistic community. He advocated for a museum of Kansas artists, writing and testifying before Kansas legislative committees.  The love and esteem with which he’s held by his peers  is a testament to his own sense of community. His beautiful, visionary murals for the restored Lawrence opera house – Liberty Hall – have been enjoyed by countless people that have attended  and performed there. He regularly donated his work to benefit auctions.

Dennis received a Lockwood Scholarship to study in Western Europe in 1972 and a CETA grant in the 70′s – as a result of which, many of his paintings now hang in public buildings in Lawrence.

Tragically, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback this year eliminated the Arts Commission, making Kansas the first state without an arts agency; in the process losing $778,000 in matching grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NETA). Read more: there’s an excellent quote from the chairman of the Commission here and a broader view of the economic impact here.

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Influences

Checking out the guide to KU’s collection of Dennis’ writings, I was struck by: Dennis’ scholarly perceptions and understanding of art; the similarity in ‘off’ color’ tonal qualities of my portrait and those of  the paintings of Albert Bloch, whom Dennis studied, wrote about and was influenced by (as quoted above); and the playful influence of Henri Matisse on his Liberty Hall murals and some of his other work.

In researching this article, I was also struck by what a vital, important hub of art that Lawrence and Kansas University has been, over the years.

More paintings by Albert Bloch

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Reflections

I hung the painting on my living room wall and reflected on it.

I think Dennis felt free to experiment with some things in this portrait; to be a bit more expressive or interpretive, since it was itself done for an artist (my mother) who would have been fairly open to or appreciative of such.

The painting looks different depending on the quality and amount of light; and depending on the angle and distance from viewer. It appears muted and dark.

It seems to respond to my mood; to interact with it. It’s amazing how alive the painting is!

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Photographing the painting (techno stuff)

Photographing the painting was a whole ‘nother ball of wax. I became aware of certain aspects of the painting – its colors and contrasts; their interrelationships; and their relationship to light, geometry and perspective.

At first I photographed the painting indoors.

It seemed that the photos I took were merely representations of the painting. It really changed the way I think about photography!

It was quite a challenge, trying to get the various values of a photo to correspond to the painting’s values. I’d never tried to photograph something so complex, before.

Color, contrast, brightness and focus are all possible variables for me in photo editing. I tried to make all sorts of changes in photo editing. The results still seemed to be too subjective. Was I trying to make something different through sheer willpower?

The difference in size between the photo on my computer screen and the painting itself was a factor. Digital viewing has another aspect that must be considered – lit as it is from ‘behind and within’; rather than from ‘in front of and outside’.

Finally, I took the painting outside in bright sunlight to photograph and view it. The only editing I did to the photo was to crop it and add 13% brightness.

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“Gazing”

I compared the results and looked at the painting again. Despite my best efforts to get it right, the difference when gazing at the actual painting was striking.

What I saw as I gazed at the painting was this:

My focus was not solely drawn to the features of the face; there was a softening effect. The colors appeared less bright; yet perhaps in a way, more vital. There were definite, distinct blocks of color. It broke the different sections of the painting into form. The colors themselves became rather flat and drab slabs, variations on a tone. There was a symbiotic relationship between color and shape that gave the painting life. The photo, by comparison was flat, subjective and static.

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Aging of the painting; and more reflections

The painting is now 40 years old. So it may have accumulated a film of dust, dirt, grime – what have you. Like me, perhaps it’s faded a bit…

I would say that it’s altered the painting, lending a sense of  it as a bit more dark and muted. Perhaps the paint itself has aged and/or interacted with the dark board. I think the elements are yet all there. Maybe the aging process has even been beneficial; as an intrinsic part of the art. Is the aging process sometimes a test of paintings, revealing hidden qualities? It’s an interesting question. And if so, how much of that has to do with the medium (i.e. oil paint vs. acrylics?)

I do feel compelled to say that the emotions I see in it seem rather heightened or exaggerated. Is that my subjective perspective? Is it a bad thing? Comparing it to my school photo, 6 months to a year earlier, I see… trauma. Or – I see a powerful transformation. Thank you, Dennis and Mom, for leaving me this record of myself.

It’s a powerful depiction of emotion. I think that Dennis had his own point of view. I like that in a person. The emotions do seem iconic to that time of my life – it’s the reason that I felt moved to write about them.

At any rate, after so many years, I feel like I’ve finally made peace with the painting and its mysteries.

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More photography

My digital camera is a Nikon Coolpix 2200. It’s rated as a novice’s camera, though it has a lot of features. I’ve had it about 7 years and am still trying to get the hang of some things.

Only a few hours after I wrote and published this article, I discovered a new function on my camera which helped a lot. It’s called ‘white balance preset’. It matches the ‘white balance’ to the light source, by using a gray object as a reference point. According to the manual, it’s used “to compensate for light sources with a strong color cast” (perhaps in this case, the painting itself.) You select that option; it takes a reading of your subject; you take the picture; and voilà! there you have it.

I took another picture under similar conditions and was pleased that the results were at least fairly representational of the painting as it is today. And since the color balance had been measured by the camera automatically, it took the subjective guesswork out of the equation.

Still, the wide discrepancies in color left me with questions.

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Photography and conservation: Why two such different color palettes?

What can I say about the first, more colorful photo of the painting? During the process of 4 weeks of experimenting with photography and writing about what I was seeing (this is the umpteenth revision), I wrote that, “Paradoxically, it’s a textbook example of the limitations of photography – when it becomes flat, two dimensional – and perhaps also of its usefulness as a tool for analysis.”

I wondered if the first photo is truer to the colors that Dennis originally used, before any aging process occurred. It’s difficult, all these years later, for me to remember the painting exactly as it was.

There’s certain elements of the first photo that I think are a more accurate representation of the painting 40 years ago. I remember that shirt well – it was one of my favorites. It was diaphanous and colorful, as you see in the first example. My skin tone and hair color also look more natural.

I certainly don’t think Dennis set out to make a painting that looked like something by Albert Bloch; I think that is more a result of the painting’s aging. Also, my original impressions of the painting were never that Dennis had worked in a radically different color palette. It was the emotional content that was unsettling to me.

Then again, maybe it was the color palette that created the impression of emotion. Or some gradient between the two. I celebrate the mystery! I don’t like things too perfect, too cut-and-dried.

Could photography be an aid to art conservation? I must admit that I know little about conservation. Here are some examples of conservation from the website of Barry Bauman, a Fellow of  the American Institute for Conservation. Remarkable stuff! Based on my painting’s age and on the color differences of the two photos, it seems likely that the painting has changed over time.

If you know something about this process (color aging in paintings and photography’s use in analysis/conservation), please leave a comment. I welcome your thoughts.

At any rate, I’ve been told that art conservation is not cheap. So maybe this is a useful alternative way to analyze paintings.

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“Restoration”

There is quite a debate over art “restoration” as opposed to “conservation”. In this Wikipedia article on the restoration of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes, in the subsection ‘Criticism and praise’, the author states that, “Any restoration, as opposed to conservation, puts an artwork at risk. Conservation, on the other hand, aids in the preservation of the work in its present state and in prevention of further deterioration.”

Of course, fresco painting refers to a very specific method of painting on wet, fresh plaster. But in this case, restoration may have been a process that changed certain elements, leaving a result that was more two dimensional. That would certainly be counterproductive and unfortunate.

I won’t try to summarize the article and its other arguments. I’ll leave further debate to the interested reader. It’s an interesting article, though, and an interesting subject.

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Do you have photos of  other works by Dennis Helm? I’d love to see them and post them here!

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My 10th grade high school yearbook picture, 6 months to a year earlier

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Me in 2011

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The art of Dennis Helm

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Another portrait by Dennis Helm, sent to me by one of my readers; date and subject unknown. It was purchased at a gallery in Lawrence c. early 80′s – probably Judy Geer Kellas’. Interesting muted tones / color palette.

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Portrait of James Sleeper, by Dennis Helm.     James was a friend of Dennis’. Photo courtesy Judi Geer Kellas

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Yellow Self Portrait with Artists Names, by Dennis Helm, 1989, watercolor and ink on paper, photo courtesy Judi Geer Kellas

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Self Portrait by Dennis Helm (at 19?), Sylvia, Kansas, 1965, pencil on paper, photo courtesy Judi Geer Kellas

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A poster done by Dennis Helm for a production of the play “Woeman” by playwright, writer and professor emeritus Paul Stephen Lim, as seen on his excellent website. Photo courtesy Paul Stephen Lim

Paul Stephen Lim’s website

Reading about Professor Lim’s genesis of the play, it turns out that David Moses – one of his inspirations for the play – had been a friend of mine. It was sad to learn what had become of my gentle, amiable friend. I was moved to see how Professor Lim had used the creative process to help introduce a difficult, taboo subject into the social dialectic.

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“Potter’s Lake”, by Dennis Helm, oil painting from Baker University’s collection of art of the Midwest

Baker University’s superb collection of art of the Midwest

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“Pear Tree” by Dennis Helm, charcoal, 18″ X 14″ , courtesy Judi Geer Kellas

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“Donald Duck Stamp” by Dennis Helm, watercolor, 16″ X 20″, courtesy Judi Geer Kellas

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untitled still life by Dennis Helm, from LJWorld.com

“Dancing With the Moon In Eclipse Surrounded by Stars”, by Dennis Helm, photo courtesy Judi Geer Kellas. I love the boldness and simplicity of the lines of the figures. There’s nothing tentative there – it just flowed out.

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There’s a nice black and white copy of a 1974 self portrait by Dennis, “Myself With Eggs and Pallette” in one of the articles excerpted above. Dennis is known for his paintings of eggs. How wonderfully quirky!

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A portrait of Dennis

“Family Portrait #43, Native Son”, acrylic on paper, 40″ X 30″, a portrait of Dennis by Judi Geer Kellas. Photo courtesy of Judi Geer Kellas. It’s part of a series she did of family portraits.

AD ASTRA is a Latin phrase meaning “to the stars”. How nice, how appropriate. Of her painting, Judi writes:

“[This is a] painting that I did of Dennis Helm a couple years after he died. He was for many years my best friend & most insightful colleague. He understood my art work better than I did! Done from photos (of course): center image was one taken in my gallery in his prime; image to left of center is one taken only weeks before he died. Other images are of paintings that he did, including a self-portrait when he was 16 years old. Lower left is mutual friend, Jim Sleeper.”

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Murals

From 1985 to 1987, Dennis worked on the renovation of Lawrence’s historic opera house, Liberty Hall, for which he created wall and ceiling murals. It seems to have been quite an ambitious undertaking and I encourage you to read the full article that I’ve excerpted below.

Quoting from “Kansas Murals: A Traveler’s Guide” by Lora Jost and Dave Loewenstein, Elliot Kort writes in his informative article on the renovation of Liberty Hall:

[“The piece, entitled “Starry Way”, depicts a celestial seascape on which two figures, muses, appear. The first, which appears to the left side of the stage, is swathed in an iridescent green dress and is playing a violin. Shooting stars and comets obscure the second figure, located on the right, as he or she manipulates what appear to be the hands of a giant lunar clock. The expanse above the stage and between the two figures looks as if the ceiling of the venue is falling away to reveal the heavens. The mural reaches so high to the ceiling that parts of it were painted by broom as the artists stood on massive scaffolding.

The piece is just one part of the overall grand design conceived of by muralist Dennis Helm and completed by Helm, Dalton Howard, Clare Tucker Bell, and Tamara Brown...

In his essay, “Sea Above, Sea Below”, Helm described the overall impact he had hoped for from “Starry Way”:

'Herein,' he writes, 'One is invited to move through a corridor of stars, past comets and endless nebulae, into the depths of space. Surely this is the image of the greatest ocean of all.'”]

Wow, muses! One of my favorite topics!

I was inspired and illuminated by this blogpost from Barbara Brackman on the murals at Liberty Hall. You can see other photos of the murals, giving you a better idea of their size and context.

the “celestial fiddler muse” mural at Liberty Hall. photo by Daniel W Coburn, LJWorld.com

the “clock figure muse” mural at Liberty Hall, photo by Daniel W. Coburn, LJWorld.com

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online sources for photos:

“Potter’s Lake”

“untitled still life”

“Clock figure”, Liberty Hall mural documentation 5/10/07

“Celestial fiddler”, Liberty Hall mural documentation 5/10/07

thanks to

I must thank my friend Rachel, who, more than 10 years ago, encouraged me to hold on to this painting. I was going to throw it out; such was my discomfort with it. One of the things I like about art is that it can get us to ask questions – sometimes, of ourselves.

My sincere thanks to my friend Abby, who inspired me to do some additional research on the web. She’s quite a scholar, herself!

Thanks to Professor Lim for his correspondence, encouragement and suggestions.

My special thanks to Judi Geer Kellas – gallery owner, artist, colleague and close friend of Dennis’. Her images of Dennis’ works and her story helped round out my picture of Dennis. I was moved to hear of their  friendship. See the art of Judi Geer Kellas here

more about those troubled times in Lawrence:

The student union building was badly burned in 1970, which did a million dollars worth of damage and made the national news. See a short video about it and all the political and racial turmoil of those times here

Read about the police killing of two student activists in the contemporary underground press here   (one of whom was black.)

A photo that brings memories flooding back for me, showing what the campus was like back then. The guy in the striped shirt on the bench looks like my friend Stan. I later met the guitar player while hanging out with Stan and his wife Jeanie; they probably let him stay at their place for a day or two. A true minstrel, he was just passin’ through, sometimes sleeping in his van. He could really play that guitar!

Also in the photo is renowned Lawrence artist and professor Roger Shimomura. There’s a funny and telling quote by him about those times in this excellent article about him in the LJW

History professor Rusty Hollohon wrote a book, “This Is America?  The Sixties in Lawrence, Kansas”  See article here: “Turmoil, Ideals of the Sixties led to diversity today”

Photos of Vietnam War protests in Lawrence here and here. I was in one of those marches!

Thanks for reading my blog. Comments?

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“Boys Be Good is an artist collective consisting of six young gay men living in America. We are based in Washington, DC and are comprised of artists from all backgrounds and areas of the country working in a variety of mediums and disciplines. We were originally formed in response to the emotionally and politically charged censorship of David Wojnarowicz’s work at the recent Hide/Seek exhibition at Smithsonian’s Museum of American Art. Through our creative work and intellectual curiosity, we hope to challenge the stereotype of “homosexual art” and seek to explore the impact gay art and culture have on society while encouraging change and creative mutation within these same realms. Our oeuvre will become a series of investigations into the crucial events, moments and thoughts that we collectively feel are inescapable in queer biography.

It is through our collective exploration of these common biographic and thematic milestones that we hope to connect with our community and offer poetic ruminations on what it means to be who we are, both collectively and individually. We will exploit the multiplicity of ideas and diversity of experiences in the collective to augment the strength of our ideas and vibrancy of dialogue. By focusing on these individual moments in a gay man’s life we aim to find and create new connections and theories inside that specificity, striving to create new intellectual and interpersonal connections within our community.

If in the eyes of others we are not equal, then we must strive to create a new gaze, a new way of seeing. If in the minds of others we are different, then we must use the tools we know best to insist on a more honest understanding of what it means to be alive. “

Photography industry

September 1975 – Present (35 years 4 months)

I’ve been involved with Michael Burns and Muralpop in several projects and have always found Michael to be throughly professional in both his approach and his result. I would recommend Michael and Muralpop to my family and friends if they needed services that he and Muralpop provide and to me there is no higher recommendation or confidence in his results and approach.

Recommend Mic’s work at Mic Chandler Photography

But the obits I tend to focus on are those involving young people. Old people are supposed to die eventually, but not young people, so there’s always an element of tragedy. Every now and again, I get a sobering dose of pain, as when a death looks like it could have been a child of my own. There was one such this week — a young woman named Grace White from Cary (like use, until recently), who’d just graduated from N.C. State (like my dear Jocelyn), worked in Hemlock Bluffs Nature Center (where I’ve been many times), who died in a wakeboarding accident on Harris Lake. Apparently she hit her head hard in a fall and had a fatal brain injury. Her dad is speaking out on the dangers of wakeboarding without a helmet. I am so very sorry for his loss.

This week the suicide of Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old violinist at Rutgers University, became a national story that also seemed close to home. Clementi jumped from the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson after his roommate posted a video on the internet of him kissing another male. Much of the commentary has focussed on the effects of bullying and the power of the web. But the story is surely in part about homophobia. The reluctance of the mainstream press to treat this aspect of tragedy directly is dispiriting.

I keep thinking we may have turned the corner on homophobia, but Clementi’s death is a reminder that it’s alive and well. The resistance to gay marriage has weakened, but a major segment of the population is still fearful of gays, and there are still politicians (including gay ones) who exploit this fear. One of the hardy perennial fear narratives is conflating gay sex between consenting adults with deviants who prey on children. I think such myths are gradually losing their power as more people realize that gays are normal people with normal ethics who pose no special threat. Everyone knows and gets along with gay people, whether they know it or not. But there are still minds that need to be changed. The Clementi tragedy reminds us that this is an urgent matter, because some lives are at risk.

One aspect of the story that made it more personal for me was the fact that Clementi apparently was a talented music student. In my time as music student at N.C. School of the Arts and Oberlin Conservatory, I knew many gay students, and came to understand that gays are major contributors to our artistic life. Just as gay friends have enriched my life, gays have made our society richer.

I have a theory as to why gays are so important in the arts. Artistic expression involves emotional exposure that runs counter to male stereotypes. Stereotypical American males don’t say much about their inner feelings. Art goes against this grain, since it involves exposing feelings. You don’t have to be gay to be an artist, and plainly being gay will not make you an artist. But the willingness to reject stereotypes is something gays almost have to have, and that type of courage is helpful for an artist.

I’d guess that Clementi had not worked through and accepted his sexuality, and so he was probably particularly vulnerable to cruel homophobic gibes. That sort of behavior, and homophobic thinking, has got to stop. It could help to speak up on the issue, and invite others to examine their prejudices. I’ll say it, though it probably rules out any chance of elected office: gays are good for our society. Or to put it in bumperstickerese: gay is good.

On September 16, Babi was detained during his weekly sign-in at the UK Border Agency and taken to the Rumney Police Station. On Thursday morning, Babi was transferred to the Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre. It has now been learned that British authorities are planning to deport him to Azerbaijan on Saturday, on an Azerbaijan Airlines flight from London to Baku.

The No Borders South Wales blog has detailed information about the history of Babi’s asylum case, the actions that have been taken in his defense, and what we can do to support him. For example, No Borders has suggested sending the following letter to Azerbaijan Airlines, urging them not to cooperate with immigration authorities:

Re: Forced Removal of Babakan Badalov (Babi)

I understand that Babi is due to be removed from the UK against his will on Azerbaijan Airways flight J20008 at 8pm on Saturday 20th September from Heathrow. I am writing to ask you to please intervene to stop this from happening.

Babi has been detained by the UK Border Agency whilst preparing a fresh claim for asylum based on new, and as yet unseen, evidence. He is in an extremely precarious state of mental health, and has expressed suicidal tendencies since being taken into detention on Tuesday this week. Put simply, Babi is not medically fit to travel.

Babi is an openly gay artist who has faced persecution in Azerbaijan because of his sexuality and because of the radical and critical nature of his art. A recent ILGA report into the human rights of Gay people in Azerbaijan states that the price of open homosexuality is often “estrangement from family, bullying, social exclusion, discrimination, blackmailing and hate crimes”. Similarly an Amnesty International report into freedom of expression in the country cited numerous instances of “harassment including physical abuse at the hands of law enforcement officials” and a number of “violent attacks which have led to serious injury and even death”. He has already experienced beatings and hate crimes: on his return he faces more of the same and perhaps worse.

I am aware that airlines are able to exercise discretion about carrying unwilling deportees, and are not obliged to do so. If not for ethical or moral reasons then surely you can see that it is bad for business for you to be seen carrying unwilling prisoners who are unfit for air travel. I therefore implore you to reconsider Azerbaijan Airways’ position on this.

NBSW has also prepared this letter (now updated in light of Babi’s imminent deportation) for dispatch to the UK Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith:

Dear Home Secretary,

Re: Babakhan Badalov Home Office reference B1234623

I have made myself familiar with this case.

Babakhan Badalov (Babi) was detained on 16th September and is scheduled to be removed on 20th September.

Babi is an openly gay, internationally renowned radical artist and poet from Azerbaijan. His art and poetry have been explicitly critical of the government and present/past presidents. These factors have led Babi to become a target of repression and persecution over many years. He has been described by the government and prominent public figures as being a traitor to Azerbaijan.

Because of his sexuality and the radical nature of his creative activities, he has endured government-led suppression from the Ministry of National Security (MNS – Azerbaijan’s modern-day version of the KGB), together with physical and mental abuse from other sectors of society. All this has taken place in a Muslim country, where homosexuality remains an extremely taboo subject. This led one of Babi’s brothers to threaten to kill him because of the shame which he has brought on the family. He has also been disowned by his family when they learnt of his sexuality.

As a result of beatings and bullying over the years Babi has only eight teeth remaining and suffers from a number of mental health problems – such as depression anxiety and panic-attacks, suicidal tendencies, together with insomnia for which he is medicated.  Babi’s solicitor has been making arrangements for him to be assessed by both a psychiatrist and neurologist.

Upon arriving in the UK, Babi was detained in four different detention centers for thirty-two days, a period which was illegally extended for three days purely due to transport difficulties.

Since arriving in Cardiff in December 2006, Babi has become a valued member of his local community as well as the arts and gay communities. In the short time he has lived in Cardiff he has made himself an asset to Cardiff and Wales as a whole. Because of both the socially engaged nature of his art, as well as his international reputation as one of Azerbaijan’s leading contemporary artists, Babi brings with him a wealth of cultural capital that is of immense value, both to South Wales and beyond. Babi’s current art practice involves making dolls from discarded items (mainly clothes and plastic bags) which he collects from the streets of Cardiff. In so doing he provides both a public service and makes us think about our relationship with our environment and how we look after it. These dolls have been exhibited all over the world.

This year Babi took part in Refugee Week in Cardiff, giving a free art workshop. He donated one of his pieces to the ‘Arts Call for Darfur’ project which raises money for Save the Children. Babi’s art is also part of a new exhibition which is to open later this month at the TactileBOSCH gallery in Cardiff.

Despite the many difficulties with which he is faced, Babi remains active in other areas of the arts. He is still producing poetry, is writing a book about his art/gay life experiences and is also working on a film addressing the rise of Muslim fundamentalism. This latter work, as well as many other aspects of his art, would of course be impossible in his country of origin.

For the first time in his life, Babi felt happy and safe in Cardiff. He felt able to openly express himself artistically, politically and with regard to his sexuality, without associated feelings of fear, shame and imminent repression.

If Babi is forced to return to Azerbaijan he faces an uncertain and unhappy future. He will undoubtedly face severe persecution, from the state, community and family.

I urge you to reconsider your decision to remove Babi. Before being detained his solicitor was in the process of gathering further evidence of the abuse he suffered in Azerbaijan. This would have enabled him to submit a fresh claim for asylum and allow him the chance of living free from the abuse and fear he will experience if he is forced to return.

Welsh activists and local friends are concerned about Babi’s mental state:

 

Babi was already in a very fragile mental state before his arrest, and No Borders South Wales can report that he was a complete wreck when a friend and member of the campaign was able to visit him in the police cell. Friend and activist Hywel Bishop said:

“I’ve never seen anyone so scared. If Babi gets sent home he faces persecution from the state for his art, beatings from the local community, as well as the threat of honour killing from his family because they can’t live with the fact that he’s gay.”

Typically Babi was also mindful of his art, and was concerned that his detention would stand in the way of his upcoming exhibition in Cardiff’s TactileBOSCH studio on 27th September and 14th October.

When he was informed that he was going to be detained and deported Babi responded by saying:

“I feel sick”

To which the UK Border agent told him:

“well you make us sick, you’re going back where you belong”

Babi somehow managed to send his friends this e-mail from Campsfield today (Friday):

hello

from united kingdom campsfield detention center foor illegal

immigrants

i love 21 century united kingdom ministry internal affairs yanki go home office

here is so much fan

i am preparing for my installation on sept 27 in cardiff which idea based protect enviroment cardiff

and burocratic space spice girks viktoria bekhem damian hirst is god and clelsea owner

hopefully they will not deport me and come to make my installation at tactile bosch art space

sir pol makkarthny last year i present you country at exhibition luigi pecci contemporary art museum in italy with my audio project which i made at bengali internet club in city road cardiff while i am still seeking asylum under fear panic insomnia named jacqui smith und gordon brown fraundshaftbaijan

i hate this civil sweet nice word