Friday, August 11, 2006

Forbidden Gels and Liquids

LAX has been set to Homeland Security level Orange. In fact, the entire commercial aviation sector has been set to Orange and Heathrow is at level Red.

Passengers on international flights out of LAX should now allow three to four hours for the screening process.

It is forbidden to bring gels and liquids beyond security checkpoints, such as:

Beverages
Perfume and cologne containers
Shampoo
Sun Tan Lotion
Creams
Toothpaste
Hair Gels
K-Y Jelly
Astroglide
Jim's Cinnamon flavor Hot Damn Sauce
Vasoline
Wet Lub
ID Pleasure Lube (also ID Juicy Lube)
Eros Pjur Bodyglide
Adam and Eve Anal Ease
Other items of similar consistency

Jeff Koons is America's most highly valued living artist. Recently he had a conversation with Tom Ford, the respected and influential former chief designer of Gucci.

They had a conversation and at one point began talking about a series of works Jeff did called Made In Heaven.

Made in Heaven (1989-91)

Tom Ford Is there sex in most of your work?

Jeff Koons I think it's in everything. In science and sociology, before anything, the organism deals with reproducing itself. After that comes aesthetics and everything else in the world, so sexuality comes from this very profound archetypal level and what it means to be human. If anything, my work is becoming more sexual, like with my 'Made in Heaven' series. That was really about the harmony between man and woman.

The first time that I saw that Cicciolina work I just couldn't quit laughing. I thought it was just hysterical, over the top. Cicciolina was a Hungarian-Italian porn star. Jeff hired her to work with him on the creation of his art, fell in love with her and then turned her love-making into art. It was so bold and confident.

TF I like the way you spoke about the innocence of that work. Those images, to many people who I don't think felt or understood them, were pornographic.

JK It was a statement of accepting her cultural history and just saying that it was perfect.

TF There's a sense of humour in that work and I think, as a viewer, you could feel what you were living through at the time.

JK Absolutely. The 'Made In Heaven' work was really a metaphor for the self-acceptance of the body, to reveal the genitalia and just be comfortable with the sexual self.


Jeff In The Position of Adam


Soul of Miss L, glorify me.
Body of Miss L, nourish me.
Blood of Miss L, intoxicate me.
Tears of Miss L, wash me.
Oh good Miss L, excuse my plea,
And hide me in your heart,
And defend me from mine enemies.
Help me, Miss L, help me, help me.
In saecula saeculorum. Amen.

--From Nathanael West's Miss Lonelyhearts

At least we aren't at level Magenta, that would be rude.