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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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Category: Art • Cephalopods
Posted on: November 7, 2007 8:20 AM, by PZ Myers
I'm disappointed in Cory Doctorow. Look at the caption he put on this image:
I'm pretty taken with the sculptural work of Rune Olsen, which revels in a kind of twisting, arching form that lodges somewhere between titillating and disgusting.
I looked all over…so where's the 'disgusting'?
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Comments
Well, obviously, it's disgusting to tangle that beautiful octopus up with an icky vertebrate.
Posted by: Mike from Ottawa | November 7, 2007 8:24 AM
The proximity of the octopus' beak to a set of male genitalia is cringe-inducing. Other than that, I'm at a loss.
Posted by: Azkyroth | November 7, 2007 8:33 AM
If you're a fag into bestiality I guess it's not disgusting.
Posted by: Dude | November 7, 2007 8:35 AM
Ah I get it, the disgusting part comes from the comments section.
Posted by: Sobex | November 7, 2007 8:53 AM
I guess it's disgusting because it looks as if they're doing weird fiddles.
I guess japanophiles would call this tentacle rape?
Posted by: Michelle | November 7, 2007 8:56 AM
Wow...just from an artistic standpoint the lines and the motion are beautiful. You can actually see the subjects twisting and turning, and the duality of expression on the male human subject is mesmerizing. Of course, I lack male genitalia, so the proximity is not as cringe inducing to me. And, um, Dude may have stumbled upon the wrong blog to use those words.
Posted by: sabrina | November 7, 2007 8:57 AM
The first commenter at the link PZ gives points out it's not unlike The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife.
Posted by: blf | November 7, 2007 9:07 AM
That is not a male. Those are breasts, albeit small breasts, and the octopus is clearly giving this woman the ride of her life. Just look at that nipple-twisting action!
Posted by: Patrick | November 7, 2007 9:12 AM
That's an amazing piece of art. Cringe inducing yes, but amazing none the less.
Maybe Dude's just having a bad day, he seems to have missed the point entirely.
Posted by: plonka | November 7, 2007 9:13 AM
I'm with Sabrina. It's an amazing piece. Incredibly fluid, definitely beautiful, and for sure disturbing on several levels -- and good art should disturb the viewer.
I am intrigued by the materials the artist works with. My immediate assumption based on the photo was fiberglas, but apparently his chosen medium is papier mache.
Posted by: Nan | November 7, 2007 9:13 AM
Her abdomen is protuberant. She is clearly pregnant. That is an Octopus practicing trans-species obstetrics.
"Yep, your water's broke alright."
Posted by: Dwimr | November 7, 2007 9:24 AM
er, um....dreadlocks are disgusting.
Posted by: Scim | November 7, 2007 9:35 AM
I agree, the sculpture is definitely derivative of The Dream of The Fisherman's Wife. I am bummed out that I missed being the first to make the connection on this thread by 35 minutes.
Posted by: David vun Kannon | November 7, 2007 9:43 AM
What's disgusting is that is _clearly_ an _octopus_, and J.R. "Bob" Dobbs has SPOKEN and PROCLAIMED that only the friendly and frolicsome Prairie Squid is suitable for such purposes.
Posted by: Mike Crichton | November 7, 2007 9:45 AM
Huh. I don't get disgusting out of this piece at all. I think it is fascinating. It is hard to read the expression on faces when they are upside down, so I flipped the image to see what the vertebrate's face looked like, and I am getting a 'pleasure' vibe . . . . Cool art. Glad you posted it, PZ.
Posted by: ctenotrish, FCD | November 7, 2007 10:08 AM
Something sexual about his other sculptures as well.
http://drtenge.livejournal.com/395265.html
Posted by: Rick | November 7, 2007 10:20 AM
By an odd coincidence, I was just reading this short story last night, about a sculptor of similar works.
I'm also reminded of a documentary about art history I saw some years ago, and they showed a work of Renaissance sculpture depicting the agonies of some martyred saint. The art historian pointed out that this revered work of art clearly shows a woman in the throes of orgasm. Anybody know what sculpture I'm talking about?
Posted by: HP | November 7, 2007 10:22 AM
#17
The art historian pointed out that this revered work of art clearly shows a woman in the throes of orgasm. Anybody know what sculpture I'm talking about?
Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Theresa, perhaps?
Posted by: Barn Owl | November 7, 2007 10:28 AM
Re: HP # 17
The Ecstasy of St. Theresa by Bernini
Posted by: Matthew | November 7, 2007 10:28 AM
Well at least these artists from TX show proper reverence on their new album.
http://www.thegourds.com/
Posted by: Kurt | November 7, 2007 11:02 AM
I like Rune Olsen's sculpture. The finish is interesting given the newspaper/acrylic medium he's using. Papier mache is harder to manipulate so skillfully than one might think.
Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Theresa - unforgettable, once seen.
Posted by: Bee | November 7, 2007 11:06 AM
#18, 19: Thanks!
/* totters off to do a Google image search */
Posted by: HP | November 7, 2007 11:07 AM
It is a weird sense of art but very interesting.
Posted by: Rosa | November 7, 2007 11:14 AM
I'll have to go tell Doug Winger that he can get into serious galleries if he just does all his art in Papier-mâché.
Posted by: Rey Fox | November 7, 2007 11:53 AM
Dang freakish perverted Eukaryotes...
Posted by: SMC | November 7, 2007 12:24 PM
Where's the line between "neat art" and "would you like some therapy"? A couple of his sculptures are very striking, but seen en masse there seems to be some real creepiness going on.
Posted by: Carlie | November 7, 2007 12:26 PM
Clearly, what's disgusting is that the put a vertical pupil, like some sort of vertebrate feline, on the octopus eye instead of its proper horizontal pupil. If one is going to truly espouse love for invertebrates, one must not project creepy vertebrate traits on them. Insisting that your octopus put on contacts before coming to bed is only one step away from having it wear a cheerleader outfit... it's just UNNATURAL. And it CREEPS ME OUT. I think we need a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT about this!
Posted by: Mark (Monty) Montague | November 7, 2007 12:49 PM
They're obviously doing something sexual, but I don't see it as disgusting at all.
After all, Aquaman had to come from somewhere.
Posted by: Hank Fox | November 7, 2007 1:04 PM
Or how about this:
The next morning at the breakfast table, the guy's mother says "Bobby, are those sucker marks on your neck? Again??"
Posted by: Hank Fox | November 7, 2007 1:11 PM
The floor of the gallery appears to be filthy. Other than that, the piece is quite beautiful.
Posted by: jeebus | November 7, 2007 1:50 PM
I'll have to go tell Doug Winger that he can get into serious galleries if he just does all his art in Papier-mâché.
Coffee in sinuses. Fuck you!
Posted by: Left_Wing_Fox | November 7, 2007 1:54 PM
The two are not mutually incompatible. Maybe this is his therapy. Now you can go creep yourself out thinking about what he'd be doing if he weren't an artist. O_o
Posted by: mandrake | November 7, 2007 2:29 PM
Oh, so that's what Zach de la Rocha is up to these days.
Posted by: Dustin | November 7, 2007 2:54 PM
Its called "For Everything I Long to Do" so I guess its a sexual thing rather than some chap being eaten. And if you look at the rear shots his toes are positively CURLING in delight.
http://www.runeolsen.net/pages.php?content=gallery.php&navGallID=1&activeType=gall
Looking at some of the other sculptures I think Rune is one very talented man, a sick little puppy no doubt but still very talented. Can't say I'll be putting any of them in my loungeroom any time soon though.
Posted by: Bride of Shrek | November 7, 2007 4:21 PM
This one has me confused though.
http://www.runeolsen.net/pages.php?content=galleryBig.php&navGallID=4&navGallIDquer=4&imageID=14&view=big&activeType=nonNestGall
Do any monkeys have sex in the missionary position or is it just a human thing? Mr Shrek thinks that question is bordering on the perversion but now I'm damn curious. Come on primate specialists out there, tell me what the Discovery Channel hasn't.
Posted by: Bride of Shrek | November 7, 2007 4:26 PM
Zach de la Rocha exploded years ago. Onstage. Pretty awesome show, though.
Posted by: Rey Fox | November 7, 2007 4:35 PM
Monty wins. ^_^
Bride of Shrek, that's not missionary position because both those bonobos are female. They're ...er... "making tortillas", for some languages. (Don't click that link unless you're at home!)
Posted by: octopod | November 7, 2007 4:42 PM
revered work of art clearly shows a woman in the throes of orgasm
Hmm, I think someone should tell either Bernini or this art historian that what he thinks is the throes of orgasm is actually his date passed out from boredom. St. Theresa looks more like she's doing a sarariman going home on the Yamanote line at 2 am after a 12 hour workday followed by several too many mizuwari with the sempai. "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" is not full-throated orgasm.
(OK, I'm a philistine...slinks off)
Posted by: AlanWCan | November 7, 2007 4:42 PM
Fuckedupeautiful O.o
Posted by: Azkyroth | November 7, 2007 5:21 PM
I looked all over...so where's the 'disgusting'?
He kind of looks like he's getting a beak-enabled blowjob...
Posted by: Jimmy | November 7, 2007 6:25 PM
It's a striking piece of art, and not disturbing in the least. H.R. Giger's work, now that's disturbing.
Posted by: gsb | November 7, 2007 7:31 PM
Thanks Octopod, we WERE having burritos for dinner tonight but now I can't get the tortillas out of the pantry without wetting myself laughing. The things I have learnt from this thread are
a) what a Bonobo monkey looks like
b) that "making tortillas" is the funniest name for a sexual activity since the "Cleveland Steamer".
c) and, thanks to your enlightening link, that the group the Scissor Sisters was named after that particular "movement".
Who said scientists were boring!!!
Posted by: Bride of Shrek | November 7, 2007 10:05 PM
GYAR! Bonobos aren't monkeys! They are apes!!!
/pant, pant
Sorry, pet peeve. :)
Posted by: LM | November 8, 2007 1:04 PM
Nan -
I disagree.. Good art need not be disturbing. Good art needs to make you *feel* or "think*. If it doesn't do either, it's not good art.
(no, it doesn't count if the "art" makes you think "what a piece of crap" or "we spent our tax dollars on THAT?" )
As for this particular piece, it does appear to be - pretty clearly - modeled (pardon th' pun) on The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife. I find it well done, and.. well.. fascinating. Isn't it the epitome of a college date?
Posted by: Lurchgs | November 8, 2007 3:50 PM
Hey, that one's not so bad as this: Hail to our sugar-water drinking cthulhoid mistresses!
Posted by: Elf M. Sternberg | November 9, 2007 6:17 PM