STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- ListBot Sponsor -------------------------- Sopranos fanatics, this one is for you. Tony Soprano's autographed Suburban is available for purchase on eBayTM. James Gandolfini has personally signed the vehicle. Find this and over 800 other Sopranos items for sale on eBay. http://www.bcentral.com/listbot/ebay ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Canadian Artist Skins Cat! Please demand prosecution! > > >From : "Mary Zoeter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To : "Mary Zoeter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject : Re: Canadian Artist Skins Cat > > Date : Thu, 19 Jul 2001 23:57:15 -0400 > > The following information is extremely disturbing, but I believe we must > respond to it. > > Mary > > ...................................................................... > > TORONTO - The directors of an avant-garde gallery in Toronto have come > under fire for their refusal to denounce two artists accused of the torture > killing of a cat. > > Jesse Power, a 21-year-old Ontario College of Art & Design student, and > Anthony Ryan Wennekers, 24, were charged on May 30 with cruelty to > animals and mischief. A third man remains at large. > > The men allegedly videotaped the black, white and grey cat's ordeal. The > case is before the courts. > > The gallery, Art System, which is funded by the art college's student > union, became embroiled in the debate when co-directors Jubal Brown and > Daniel Borins appeared at Mr. Power's bail hearing to support the artist, > who has exhibited previous work at the gallery and whom they consider a > friend. > > Mr. Power is also scheduled to exhibit some of his work at the gallery in > August, but it's not clear whether that will go ahead. > > Mr. Power has gone on record in a local newspaper defending the video as a > work of art -- a comment on the death and suffering of animals used for > meat. > > Toronto Police Detective Gordon Scott said the 17-minute videotape is the > most difficult thing he has ever watched. > > "After a couple of minutes, I was actually rooting for the cat to die to > avoid the cruelties being inflicted upon it," he said. > > Mr. Brown and Mr. Borins have made it clear they do not condone acts of > cruelty to animals. Mr. Brown, a vegetarian who owns two cats, said he finds > the idea of killing cats "simply horrible." > > "I don't support the killing of animals for food or art," he said. "But > whether it is art is not for us to answer." > > Mr. Brown is no stranger to controversy. In 1996, he gained infamy by > ingesting primary-coloured foods and vomiting on two paintings he > considered "banal" -- a seascape by Raoul Dufy at the Art Gallery of > Ontario and a Mondrian at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. > > Neither painting was damaged and no charges were laid. Mr. Brown said at > the time his protest was meant "to destroy art, to liberate individuals and > living creatures from its banal, oppressive representation." > > Art System's position has since been reinforced by an official statement > from Bill Pusztai, chairman of the student union at the Ontario College of > Art and Design. > > Cathy GordonMarsh, a local artist who has mounted the boycott, says > taking a stand on the artistic merit of such acts is essential. "It > reflects on us as an arts community," she said. "I am very willing to say it > is not art for the reason that it includes an unwilling partner. It is the > difference between art and snuff." > > Mr. Borins said the fate of Mr. Power's scheduled show at Art System is > now in doubt. Police have seized all of his video work for review and the > gallery is looking into whether it can show any of his work without fear of > facing charges itself. > > Mr. Borins also made it clear Art System has no desire to show the tape > of the cat's skinning and death. "We're not idiot provocateurs," he said. > "It's like showing a snuff movie -- it's illegal." > > Both Mr. Brown and Mr. Borins have defended their decision to attend Mr. > Power's bail hearing, saying they were only there to support a friend. "We > were concerned that Jessie is messed up and in serious trouble," Mr. Borins > said. "We're also concerned that police confiscated all his previous artwork > and might try to use it against him as character evidence." > > Since current laws relating to cruelty to animals carry only a maximum > six-month sentence, Det. Scott said police are trying to locate the cat's > owner in an effort to prove the animal was someone's property and thereby > solidify their case for a possible conviction on indictable mischief, which > carries a maximum sentence of two years. > > Ron Shuebrook, President > Ontario College of Art & Design > 100 McCaul Street > Toronto, Ontario > M5T 1W1 > > Tel: 416-977-6000 > Fax: 416-977-6006 > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > __________ ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
