GMARTS Hot Meat Sticks in the Daily News

Abstract:

Once again, Anna Verna, City Council president and art critic, says she's offended and she's not gonna take it.

She does not want to walk down the 4th floor corridor in City Hall and have to look at an art exhibit that's "very offensive," particularly when this so-called art makes references to "hot meat sticks" and "Fag cigarettes."

In short, she wants this stuff, part of the latest edition of the Art in City Hall program, off the floor and preferably out of City Hall.

Last October, you'll remember, Verna was in an uproar over Alyse Bernstein's quilt "Jack's Red Pajamas," which was a pair of kid's pajamas with a colorful patern of a dog squatting to do his business. It was moved to the second floor near the mayor's office after Verna protested.

The art in this case comes from those irreverent commentators on the commercial world at G-Mart, a storefront on North 3rd Street in Old City. The artists, Sonia Kurtz and Michael Alan, have arranged samples of their products and art in a display that was catching the attention of passers-by while it was still a work-in-progress.

One large poster in the display blared "Hot Meat Sticks" for sale, "A Golden Fluffy Product." The other hawked "Fag cigarettes" and urged consumers to "Grab a Butt today."

After visiting the display spread, City Hall workers and visitors started gathering.

"It does not belong in here. It's disgusting. Whoever put it up there must be nuts," said Joyce Alexander, a staffer in Councilwoman Donna Miller's office. "I don't know maybe the guy was smoking a blunt when he did this."

Kevin O'Shea, a Northeast Philadelphia real estate agent, and his fiancee, Mary Paul, a recent nursing school graduate, were in City Hall to get their marriage license for their Oct. 6 nuptials.

"It's a shame that in a world-class city like Philadelphia that we couldn't have a piece of art that promotes Philadelphia or our country," O'Shea said. "Something at least that's attractive, not distractive."

But a City Council employee, who declined to give her name wasn't bothered. "There's no reason to take it down," she said. "I think it's funny. It's artistically worthwhile as much as a Campbell soup can."

Another City Hall employee, who also declined to give her name, thought that the display might be offensive to gays and lesbians.

But Michael Alan, one of the artists, said, "We've talked to people in the gay community and they found it funny." He described G-Mart as "an inconvenience store" filled with odd products that challenge America's prevailing commercial mindset.

The display includes cans of "Golden Stream beer," bottles of "Deadly Poison," a bottle that looks supsipciously like a popular window cleaner, and cans of "Meat" that looked like Spam.

David Foss, the program coordinator for the Art in City Hall program, said "I was kind of surprised about the controversy over the piece. And we'll have to talk to the designers about it.

"The displays in their store provoke thought and poke a little fun," he said. "How people take it is another question."

For more information about G-Mart and its art, go to its Web site, www.gyromart.com.

Philadelphia Daily News  (link to site)

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/

Categories: Gmart