[extropy-chat] Phallic election results

David Lubkin extropy at unreasonable.com
Fri Nov 12 06:32:38 UTC 2004


There's a healthy competition in visual representations of the election 
results. The most useful (and visually disturbing) I've seen so far is

www.esri.com/industries/elections/graphics/results2004_lg.jpg

Wonkette sees the blue jutting skyward as phallic. To me, the camera angle 
seems to come from the point of view of an incoming ICBM; the blue spires 
are stylized mushroom clouds.

What would Edward Tufte say?

There's the notion in the arts (certainly visual art and writing) that a 
work can have diverse and profound meaning not considered or intended by 
its creator, or indeed directly opposite the intended meaning.

In recent political art, we have the portrait of Bush created from a 
composite of photos of dead soldiers. Seen by Michael Moore as a powerful 
anti-Bush statement while embraced by others as an expression of solidarity 
with Bush.

http://photomatt.net/2004/07/mosaic/

Natasha -- I'm guessing that there are people who feel your work captures 
their fear and revulsion of transhumanity. Have you encountered this 
reaction? How did it make you feel? What did you say?


-- David Lubkin.





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