Throughout the conversation about the censored mural design of the Bunker Ramp many journalists and fellow arts advocates have asked to see the censored design to better understand it.
The artists have not acquiesced. Their argument has been they may use the imagery in a future project so they prefer not to show peeps.
I have argued it would go a long way in fighting censorship by the mayor’s office if the public is shown the image and make a judgement for themselves.
Many artists and free speech advocates throughout the city have suggested on social media they sell t-shirts of the rejected art and donate some of the proceeds to a local visual arts charity or better yet use the money to put the mural on private property in public view.
Not long ago this community came together to turn a similar negative situation into a positive. A few years back a state employee decided to design the infamous Rainbow Buffalo. After posting it to FB the employee’s job was threatened and was asked to take the image off of FB. What happened next was remarkable. The person shared their story and soon the image was emblazened on everything from stickers to stocking caps.
But the reason I bring this up AGAIN is the intriguing conversation I had with a fellow artist about this recently. The artist in question is a practicing professional artist who follows state and local politics like a hawk, so I decided to ask him his opinion on the censored piece, this is what I can remember from the conversation;
ME: HAVE YOU SEEN THE IMAGE OF THE CENSORED PIECE?
ARTIST: NO. HAVE YOU?
ME: NO. BUT WAS IT EXPLAINED TO YOU?
ARTIST: YES.
ME: I DON’T UNDERSTAND ALL THE HOOPLA ABOUT A SHIRTLESS NATIVE MAN?
ARTIST: MAYBE IT WASN’T A MAN?
ME: SO YOU THINK IT WAS A TOPLESS WOMAN?
ARTIST: NO (THEY GIVE ME A SIDEWAYS GLANCE)
You’ve got your mother in a whirl
She’s not sure if you’re a boy or a girl
Hey babe, your hair’s alright
Hey babe, let’s go out tonight
You like me, and I like it all
We like dancing and we look divine
You love bands when they’re playing hard
You want more and you want it fast
They put you down, they say I’m wrong
You tacky thing, you put them onRebel rebel, you’ve torn your dress
REBEL REBEL, DAVID BOWIE
Rebel rebel, your face is a mess
Rebel rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, I love you so!
We came to the conclusion that image was more then likely a depiction of what natives call ‘Two-Spirit’;
“Two-Spirit” is a term used within some Indigenous communities, encompassing cultural, spiritual, sexual and gender identity. The term reflects complex Indigenous understandings of gender roles, spirituality, and the long history of sexual and gender diversity in Indigenous cultures.
So are we getting the whole story here? I wouldn’t know since I haven’t seen Jack, uh I mean Jackie.