i watched a program about plasticised dead people being displayed in a traveling museum road show...i know..i know.. what the heck am i watching lately!    anyway, the bodies have came from china, but no one knows their history. they may be people who have been executed for what i know.
Does it matter where they have come from? do you think it's ok for people to pay to see them?

I think one reason for art is to raise such questions.

The human body is a work of art.

However, live bodies are so much more interesting than dead ones 

I thought personally that this was absolutely horrible the first time I heard about it. I was in Taipei at the time, and the exhibition was doing the rounds there. Some friends wanted to go - they went without me.

I think it's horrible. On the other hand, that's a gut reaction. People donate their bodies to science all the time, and one could argue that an exhibition like this serves to educate the public about human anatomy and physiology.

Counter-argument though, would be that the art is a visual out of context. A med student disecting a cadaver has background, lectures and everything to give him or her that context, but really, going to see something like this is just "shock value", really.

QuoteA med student disecting a cadaver has background, lectures and everything to give him or her that context

Then would it be fair to say that to appreciate art you need an education in it?

I believe that the controversy with this exhibit stems from whether the bodies are from volunteers or prisoners.

If a person voluntarily willed their bodies to the people doing the exhibit, then there is little reason to complain.

If they were prisoners, there may be a chance they were killed or let by by neglect, a VERY controversial action.

China is not known for a good human rights record.

Quote from: lisagurl on February 27, 2008, 09:30:43 AM

QuoteA med student disecting a cadaver has background, lectures and everything to give him or her that context

Then would it be fair to say that to appreciate art you need an education in it?

Tht wasn't really the point I was getting at, though I didn't exactly explain things properly, so sorry all. Art that is exploitative is wrong, and in my opinion, this thing qualifies. Besides that, I feel it is catering to a lowest common denominator in mankind, namely that rubbernecking thing most of us tend to have when confronted with nastiness. To me, this is like Jerry Springer doing a show live from the Tate Modern in London or something.

As to your question, I think it helps, but you don't need that education to appreciate it. Having it though does give an added depth to it, in my opinion. I'm not an art student, but I'd have loved to have some background. Even just my limited knowledge of occult symbolism and stuff makes me so much more appreciative of European medieval art and architecture - the cleverness with which symbols and meaning are hidden in plain sight is just so cool.

QuoteArt that is exploitative is wrong

Does that apply to marketing or propaganda?

Quote from: lisagurl on February 27, 2008, 01:35:27 PM

QuoteArt that is exploitative is wrong

Does that apply to marketing or propaganda?

Hell yeah. Presenting information about a product or a position - fine. But using psychological triggers to brainwash people, not so much.

Quote from: lady amarant on February 27, 2008, 01:59:02 PM

Quote from: lisagurl on February 27, 2008, 01:35:27 PM

QuoteArt that is exploitative is wrong

Does that apply to marketing or propaganda?

Hell yeah. Presenting information about a product or a position - fine. But using psychological triggers to brainwash people, not so much.

So called "Good" advertising is all about using psych triggers to get people to 'buy' a product.  It is one of the reasons I avoid commercial radio and television.

Even infomercials use psych triggers, though to a lesser degree.  While they present information, they often have psych triggers to get you to accept that information.

Quote from: Natasha on February 24, 2008, 06:20:23 AM
i watched a program about plasticised dead people being displayed in a traveling museum road show...i know..i know.. what the heck am i watching lately!    anyway, the bodies have came from china, but no one knows their history. they may be people who have been executed for what i know.
Does it matter where they have come from? do you think it's ok for people to pay to see them?

I think it depends on the presentation or amount of artifice present. A human body per se is not a work of art, it would qualify more as a found object in my opinion.

As for whether it's ok to display dead people: Is it ok to have mummies on display? peat bog corpses? As long as they didn't get killed to be on display, why not? Most of those bodies for exhibitions are usually donated or unclaimed.

EDIT: China doesn't have a good record on human rights but we can't assume that it exports dead dissidents either.

QuoteSo called "Good" advertising is all about using psych triggers to get people to 'buy' a product.  It is one of the reasons I avoid commercial radio and television.

And the web is different? It seems to me everyone is selling themselves and wants to be popular.  Youtube? Blogs? Forums?

Quote from: lisagurl on February 27, 2008, 04:44:06 PM

QuoteSo called "Good" advertising is all about using psych triggers to get people to 'buy' a product.  It is one of the reasons I avoid commercial radio and television.

And the web is different? It seems to me everyone is selling themselves and wants to be popular.  Youtube? Blogs? Forums?

TV and radio have audio components, many of which are extra loud during the commercials.  On the web, I can easily ignore the audio.

Posted on: February 29, 2008, 11:00:19 AM

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Quote from: soldierjane on February 27, 2008, 03:14:58 PM

Quote from: Natasha on February 24, 2008, 06:20:23 AM
i watched a program about plasticised dead people being displayed in a traveling museum road show...i know..i know.. what the heck am i watching lately!    anyway, the bodies have came from china, but no one knows their history. they may be people who have been executed for what i know.
Does it matter where they have come from? do you think it's ok for people to pay to see them?

I think it depends on the presentation or amount of artifice present. A human body per se is not a work of art, it would qualify more as a found object in my opinion.

As for whether it's ok to display dead people: Is it ok to have mummies on display? peat bog corpses? As long as they didn't get killed to be on display, why not? Most of those bodies for exhibitions are usually donated or unclaimed.

EDIT: China doesn't have a good record on human rights but we can't assume that it exports dead dissidents either.

We can hope they don't use dead dissidents.  Of course, given the population base China has, it might be possible there are a lot more people willing to donate their bodies.