City Officials inTemecula, California remove a nude paiting from a city owned gallery

Temecula, California is a 1 hour drive from Palm Springs and there is a world of difference between our cities. Where California is normally considered a liberal state, Temecula would feel more at home in the deep south.

The city has banned books before, a parents group even wanted the dictionary banned because it had bad words. Now of course not everyone who lives there is reactionary, but it appears some those in elected office are.

The above is the painting that was banned.

Here's the story:

"Temecula criticized for removing nude portrait from city-owned gallery.

...The National Coalition Against Censorship sent a letter dated Tuesday to City Manager Shawn Nelson protesting the removal of Temecula artist Jeff Hebron's work from a show at The Merc, a city-owned building in front of the Old Town Temecula Community Theater...

"Simple nudity is not sufficient ground for excluding artwork from public exhibition," the letter read. "If it were, a vast amount of great art, including masterpieces like Michelangelo's David, would be off limits...

The letter blames "city management" for the portrait's removal, but Nelson said Wednesday night he didn't know who might have given that order.

"I don't have any information on any of it," he said, adding he wasn't even aware of the issue until he got the letter...

Temecula Community Services Director Herman Parker, whose department runs the theater and The Merc, said the coalition's letter came as a surprise to him.

"We're going to evaluate the letter, evaluate what it says and take a look at what we should do, if anything," he said Wednesday afternoon. "This is all new to us. We're all digesting this."

Temecula Mayor Jeff Comerchero could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. Hebron and the show's other co-chairwoman, Angela Morris, also could not be reached...

Hebron entered the work, whose title was not immediately known, for "Visual Expressions 2010," a juried show sponsored by the Arts Council of Temecula Valley that is scheduled to run through Sunday...

'IT WASN'T A PORNO'

She said she saw the painting. "It was a little bold, but it wasn't a porno or anything," Landry added.

Art show registration forms typically contain language explaining that the show reserves the right to choose what is displayed, Landry said.

Daniel Foster, a past executive director of the Riverside Art Museum, said one way to deal with controversial art is to put a notice at the entrance of museums and galleries so patrons know what they're about to see. However, some in the arts community view such notices as a form of censorship, he said..."

Now what I thought was interesting is the mayor and city manager who said they were surprised by the censorship, could have easily have ordered the art gallery to allow the painting or issued an apology for the censorship. That is what a responsible public official would do. As Harry Truman said, the buck stops here.

The censorship act happened Wednesday, as of Saturday's paper, the painting is still banned. So much for the mayors and city manager's phony surprise. If a city employee can order the painting banned, then obviously the city manager or mayor can order it reinstated. City council does not have to vote on it.

Censorship is a terrible thing. Sadly our first amendment rights in the US are being destroyed by the reactionaries and extremists in our own country.

We need to be diligent and to remove from political office the bozos that are destroying our rights.

Tom Mulhall
Terra Cotta Inn Clothing Optional resort and spa, Palm Springs, California
http://sunnyfun.com
800-786-6938

Naturist artist gives great explanation for being a nudist

All the way back in cave man days, humans have drawn and painted the naked human body. Above is a painting from one of the grand masters.

An artist is being interviewed and gives a great explanation on the positives aspects of being a nudist or as he prefers to be called naturist.

Here's part of the interview:


"Q: What are the pros and cons of being a nudist?

A: Well, as you might imagine, being a “nudist” is something that is misunderstood, at least here in the U.S. I consider myself a “naturist” – that is, I think of my body and how it’s revealed in the context of a philosophy. Gymnosophy is an actual term that applies the opinion that the human body is inherently wholesome and proper, and that no part of the body is obscene. I believe that there should be no effort to conceal the body except when it is practical (to protect one’s self from the elements, as a consideration to others that are an accepted clothing only area, etc.). There is no practical reason to conceal the body in situations where it is obviously appropriate to do disrobe – at the beach, in the park, in one’s own home with friends and family, etc. If you think about it, wearing clothing does not really conceal what your body looks like. We can all tell – usually – what each other’s bodies look like, and what sex they are, with their clothes on. Clothing doesn’t really hide any personal secrets. There are only two sets of “equipment” for people, and the obsession with hiding our bodies only contributes to – I think – the unhealthy sexualization of so many areas of our culture.


Here are some random thoughts concerning this subject:
- I often use depictions of the human body from art history when instructing my students about their own work and their connection to their artistic ancestors, but, oddly, there is revulsion to the depiction of the body in a more contemporary situation, or a negative reaction when it is discussed that our students use the nude human form as a subject matter...

Since, when it is depicted, it is usually in an overtly sexual context, then that is (wrongly) the only connotation attached to it. I submit that this unhealthy and inconsistent attitude towards the human body is the primary cause of this disturbing attitude; i.e. that nudity equals sex.

- Americans seem to have a particular problem in this area. We seem to be ashamed of, and at the same time, intensively interested in the human body and sexuality. It’s this strange combination of Victorian era mentality coupled with daily use of internet porn...It also turns something that is inherently beautiful and wholesome (sex) and turns it into something that is forbidden and sleazy. There are, as you may know, many areas of the world that do not have this contradictory attitude towards the human body, and consequently these other countries don’t have the problems that Americans have with body/self esteem issues (especially in girls or young women), and don’t have the same problem with sexual crimes and disjointed attitudes (mostly by men) concerning what is proper behavior in a sexual relationship, etc...

- I go to beaches in the summer that are mostly clothing optional, and surprisingly (to an outsider) there are families, adults, children, and older couples – in other words, all kinds of “regular” people. There have been extensive psychological studies that have looked at families where children are raised in a nudist-friendly environment, and they found that these children are just generally more well-adjusted. They have better self esteem, they are better and smarter when in different social situations, and they are more mature and engaged with what his going on around them. In other words, they understand at an early age what is important – it’s not what people look like that matters, it’s what they do...

Most of the “clothed” beaches I go to are rowdier, more sexually charged, louder and more inconsiderate of the situation. At all the nude beaches I go to, they are quieter, more casual, more respectful, etc. More chill, you might say...

In my opinion, fashion is about vanity and shame and living in denial...

Our bodies are amazing machines that are ALWAYS beautiful and proper. An extremely influential American artist and art teacher named Robert Henri said “There is nothing more beautiful or profound or revealing of the laws of nature than the nude human form. It is among all people, not just artists, that a greater appreciation of the nude human form should develop. When we appreciate the nude human form, we will no longer have any shame about it.” He wrote this in 1910.

For the full fascinating interview click here

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Marks and Spencer supports spokesmodels decision to appear nude in Playboy Magazine

Marks and Spencer is a popular department store in England. They hired model Lily Cole to promote some of their clothing. Ms. Cole decided to to a 14 page shoot for Playboy's French magazine.

Where you would expect an American company to be in an uproar and maybe even fire their model for appearing in Playboy, Marks and Sparks as they are called, defends Ms. Cole's decision to appear nude in Playboy.

Here is the story:

"M&S Defend Lily's Naked Playboy Shoot


Marks and Spencer have defended Lily Cole after her naked shoot for the French Playboy...

"Lily Cole is a popular, high-profile model who is very much in demand," a spokesperson for the brand told Sky News. "This is one the key reasons we have chosen to work with her. It's entirely her own choice as to what other work she accepts and we would not wish to interfere with her career."

Cole's 14-page spread was perhaps a surprise choice for the intellectual model, who is studying at Cambridge this year. She insists however, that she took on the shoot in the name of art.

In an interview which accompanies the photos, the 20-year-old insists: "Nudity has always existed in art and I think that, given the right conditions, it doesn't necessarily 'debase' anymore than it celebrates or represents the human body."

For the full story click here

If you have ever wanted to try topless or nude sunbathing, give us a call at 800-786-6938. Visit our site at http://sunnyfun.com

Hope to see you in sunny Palm Springs!