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Openness in Art & Pushing Boundaries of Acceptability

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
We have today, for the first time, work that tests "What is Art" in a way we have not faced before.

We are an Open Forum. This means we do not censor.

Still we do. We disallow humiliating a particular person or child pornography.

Why are we so open?

The purpose of a OPF, from the start is two fold:

1. To encourage and support each photographer here on their on creative path. We salute them as they explore their own expression. We provide mutual support and interest by discussion and sharing our skills, knowledge and references to other works of art.

2. By the sum of this individual oeuvres to hold a lantern to understand our own condition and of the life-covered blue marble in our galaxy, over which we have claimed dominion!

In this, some will photograph the most available low-hanging fruits on the tree. Others will reach up to the highest peaks to find the eagles nest or deep into the dark caves to determine what we fear the most. In the latter case, the photography might be uncomfortable, hard to face and even disgusting. It all depends on where we search in the minds of man or in their closets!

So, we must welcome all explorations and as long as there was no abuse or promotion of abuse or humiliation, even testy and confrontational work of shocking dark eroticism, is not censored here. It is located in the "Downtown" section, (where it is supposed to be), with appropriate warnings.


Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Serious art is respected here, even when it disturbs us.

From infancy, cherished nursery rhymes include butchery and mayhem. The explanation is that exploring fears, provide the child with "psychological binoculars", to know, in advance, that all is not safe outside of their parents warm and safe cave.

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I remember from childhood several jokes, imprinted on my mind, which must be metaphorical.

"Mommy, Mommy, why am I going round in circles?", to which the startling reply is, "Shut up, or your father will nail your other foot to the ground!"

There are various of explanations, from seemingly blatant sadism to wise and commendable self-realization that we parents limit the free growth and career paths of our children, simply by being their parents!

Asher
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
We have today, for the first time, work that tests "What is Art" in a way we have not faced before.

We are an Open Forum. This means we do not censor.

Still we do. We disallow humiliating a particular person or child pornography.

Why are we so open?

The purpose of a OPF, from the start is two fold:

1. To encourage and support each photographer here on their on creative path. We salute them as they explore their own expression. We provide mutual support and interest by discussion and sharing our skills, knowledge and references to other works of art.

2. By the sum of this individual oeuvres to hold a lantern to understand our own condition and of the life-covered blue marble in our galaxy, over which we have claimed dominion!

In this, some will photograph the most available low-hanging fruits on the tree. Others will reach up to the highest peaks to find the eagles nest or deep into the dark caves to determine what we fear the most. In the latter case, the photography might be uncomfortable, hard to face and even disgusting. It all depends on where we search in the minds of man or in their closets!

So, we must welcome all explorations and as long as there was no abuse or promotion of abuse or humiliation, even testy and confrontational work of shocking dark eroticism, is not censored here. It is located in the "Downtown" section, (where it is supposed to be), with appropriate warnings.


Asher

Of course!
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Interesting, look how small (compare to the others) Courbet's L’Origine du Monde (The Origin of the World) appears!
A kind of censorship…

I felt that but didn't articulate it in my full consciousness to call it out! But you did and you are so right!

The censorship is, itself, shocking.

We find it convenient to leverage full breasts, (just visible through a soft garment or blatantly exposed like fruit offered up for our interest), in every day advertising from pimping cars to pushing pharmaceuticals!

Still, if the same woman wants to nurse her child in public, many folk are mean spirited, critical and react as in disgust!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
This is ridiculous. I can easily top that ten examples.

Quite, but I chose it as a very gentle approach. I would love a better reference. Some are hardly contoversial to any educated enlightened person borught up in the U.K., France or Germany, for example.

Greek and Roman erotic art is just what happens between good friends I guess and is fine by me. None of that I need to be informed about. I am not at all familiar with the darker examples when we go beyond normal wide ranges of sexuality to staging the pretend hanging or assault of people.

I must admit my lack of knowledge. I even rush past crucifixions, and celebrations of gothic battles, come to think of it. So I m problably not as open as I would have considered!


Asher
 
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