Top 10 Comments of 2011 on DREGstudios.com!

Inks and Typewriter on Paper / 2006

One of the main motivations for turning my entire website over to my blog this past January was the idea of an open forum where my viewing (and reading) audience could give me feedback and comment on my work.  I opted to allow Anonymous commenting whereas many sites do not.  The only comments I remove are those that are blatantly spam and off-topic.  Other than that, this site is free of censorship for my viewers just as I do not expect any entity of government or person to censor me.  If you’ve seen my political art, you understand that the First Amendment is sacred to me as a creator. 

Today we honor ten of those people who proactively voiced themselves here on DREGstudios.com in 2011.  I painstakingly relived each and every low blow and gob of spit in the face which was thrown my way this year as well as those words which made me laugh and inspired me!  From the hundreds of comments posted, I narrowed down for you my Top 10 Comments of 2011…

[10]  ” Buy a lot of toilet paper...now.” 

-Anonymous on Living in a Society of Fear: Ten Years after 9/11

[09]  “I shall remain anonymous for the simple fact that I don't want my name associated with a blog that is so filled with infantile inaccuracies, false accusations, misquotes, and animosity towards others that is inexcusable. I also find it inexcusable to use this senseless tragedy and it is senseless for your own personal gain. Shameless, egotistical and rabid hyperbole at the expense of others.” 

- Anonymous on Sarah Palin Made Me Do It

[08]  “F*ck the "inner-city". If those lazy idiots can't make it in a free society, with a free education, a free house, free food, and a free cell phone, then they're too stupid to make it, period.

Your "outreach" programs are just another tax on an overburdened society who is already paying the price for the lower classes inability to function at any perceptible level.

The better use of our funds is to imprison, (or better yet, execute) these street criminals and get them out of society altogether.

Then there would be plenty of money to help treat the truly disadvantaged and needy people, who really do need it.

Liberals are unable to grasp these simple facts and always seek to blame society as a whole for an individuals problems.

When one of YOUR children is raped and beaten nearly to death by one of the "poor disadvantaged people" as my daughter was, you will have a different perspective.

Fortunately, they have pictures of the black bastard that did it ( he was at a hospital getting some free health care when he started stalking her). Unfortunately, considering he will be tried by a jury of his peers- more drug addicted sexual predators- he will probably walk. The good news for you Liberals is that he will be free to rape again. Hooray. Next time, I hope it's one of your kids!”

-Anonymous on Happy 100^th Gipper!

[07]  “Hopefully all you dope smoking hippie morons take a hit of some bad weed and it will speed up your Alzheimer, if your not there yet maybe the vegetative state will come real soon”

-Anonymous on Vote Teapot: PASS IT!

[06]  “The Whore of Babylon always comes to mind when her name comes up. Draped in gold, leading "sheep to slaughter", proud of it... Using the names of saints and God to her own ends...

17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sat.

17:15 And he said unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sat, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”

-Anonymous on The Ecstasy of Sarah Palin

[05]  “I hate to say this... but I was really hoping her boobs would be in the drawing.. she had a nice set.. I still appreciate it as well as you! Good job!! You did get her smile.. it's like I can hear her laugh! :D” 

-Melanie McIntyre Owenby on Janis

[04]  “In conjunction with the "Teach Creationism as a Science" law and "Stop Protecting LGBTQ from Discrimination" law, this governor has really put Tennessee on the road to complete ignorance. Art can only offend a person insofar as he or she is willing to participate in the artist/observer paradigm. Isn't it a cliche by now--if you don't like the commercial, change the channel. Don't like gay marriage? Don't get one. And so on. People who come to this page for the explicit purpose of hating on Free Speech are, ironically, taking that very freedom for granted. An artistic depiction of misogyny for the purposes of political satire is, by definition, in defense of women's rights. I would suggest that certain anonymous individuals read Jonathan Swift's classic satire, "A Modest Proposal," in which he advocates eating babies to ease the Irish famine. But knowledge does tend to spoil fallacy, so fair warning! Haslam's legislation has seriously harmed innumerable good citizens and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. If the good governor can dish it out, certainly he can take it in stride. And personally, this doesn't offend my sensibilities in the slightest, as an artist, a patriot, a feminist, an occasional peruser of dildos... So does that mean I should be legally banned from viewing it? If you have to trample on someone else's rights to gain your own, youhaven't accomplished anything... Good work as usual Brandt. Keep 'em thinking!”

-Zach on POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE: A Portrait of Governor Bill Haslam and his Wife Crissy

[03]  “You do realize that harvest festivals are celebrations of greed and gluttony, right? The whole giving thanks thing comes from Americans patting themselves on the back for making friendly with some natives before starting the genocide. Black Friday is a better method of celebrating the harvest than is Thanksgiving.

Of course, you're just one of those people who just want to blame Big Business/commercialization/video games/rock music/foreigners/Catholics for ruining society. Yes, I'm lumping you in with the bigots. You're just as self-important, smug, judgmental, and deluded as they are. Congrats on not being as violent, though. That's a plus”

-Anonymous on Wishing You and Yours a Bountiful Harvest…

[02]  “Nice Work Here Dreg / One picture is worth a thousand words + ONE
From Cleveland, Ohio

"ICEALITY"
(Noun) Pronunciation: i·ce·al·i·tee

1 a : to describe the phenomena of arts and culture integrating with social issues.
2 : “Assist in understanding of the relationship between Humans and their Environment through the Arts ultimately promoting a sustainable global Culture of Peace”.

Source; URBAN DICTIONARY”

-Ambassador Renate on Propaganda for the Occupy Movement

[1]  “they are going to shoot you like 2 pac” 

-W.L. on POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE: A Portrait of Governor Bill Haslam and his Wife Crissy

If my art and words move you, don't be afraid to tell me.  If my art and words scare you, don't be afraid to tell me.  If my art and words piss you the fuck off, don't be afraid to tell me.  I'm looking forward to all your wonderful input in 2012!

-B

Illustration Friday: Gag Order

"Gag Order" Inks on Paper / 2007

"Obsession" is Illustration Friday's theme today.  I've been obsessed this week with Freedom of Speech.  This month, the artistic community here in Tennessee has come under fire about our new State Law banning citizens from posting "potentially offensive" images to the internet.

I responded to this new law with a Portrait of the man who signed this law into effect, our Governor Bill Haslam.

Click HERE to view this new portrait in defiance of State Law and leave me your feedback about the law and how art can be illegal.  

What is more Offensive? A violation of our Civil Liberties or Art?

[CLICK HERE for a stream of all my Illustration Friday entries]

[Censored Mail] Happy Belated Birthday Wapoo!

I'd just like to take a moment to thank the fine staff at South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton, TN for returning my fine art prints to me instead of hucking them in the trash.  I can say that I am indebted to The Tennessee Department of Corrections for a little over two bucks.  The same envelope I shipped them to my friend in for his birthday was used to return them, with only two pieces of scotch tape holding the prints inside (I do bag my prints for shipping so this helped.)  Their safe passage is a true testament to our postal system and the job they do, getting them home to me safely, despite being exposed to the elements.

So apparently my artwork is too heinous and/or inappropriate for the inside of a medium security prison cell.  Art is healing and human expression.  My intention surely wasn't to hinder my friend's reformation or to any way infringe upon the diligent and heartwarming service I'm certain this facility and it's employees are providing for him. 

Apparently playing cards, Hunter S. Thompson, Beer, and Satan are images detrimental to the recovery of a convict. 

Dear patron of the arts, who do you think?

I would say it's a freedom of speech / expression issue but a prisoner has no rights... 
Even on his birthday.  

They're waiting for you here on the outside man along with cards, amazing literature, beer, and a little more Hell to raise.  They didn't give you the two Happy Birthday letters from myself or Nick either... but words (and positive encouragement.) are dangerous you know.  Mine said "Keep your chin up." and Nick's said "Freedom is on the Way."

luvup,

B

Gimme Shelter (and Keeping the Internet Free)

I was pleased to stumble across the website for the Gimme Shelter project tonight.  I participated in this art show back in 2006.  Five years later, they still have their site and all the tremendous art which was created in archival form for you to see at your convenience.  Artists from all over the world painted and drew on cardboard to raise money for homeless charities.  The work went on a touring exhibit across the U.S. and Europe, where the pieces were auctioned off.  The ones not sold at the shows were sold on Ebay.  This was an artistic prompt which I could not ignore...

One of my donated works from 2006... mixed media on cardboard

At least once a week I'm brought to a realization of the magnificent power of the internet.   Artistic projects can be documented though online galleries, time lapse videos, blogs, etc.  The internet not only gives us the power to share but to also archive our experiences for generations to come.

While we wield this power of global communication and sharing, it is in extreme danger today.  Net neutrality is being stripped from our basic rights as we speak.  We already know that the internet is severely censored in other countries such as China.  This is mainly due to their need to shelter the public from critical views of their government and social structure for fear of organization and rebellion against it.  The United Nations have placed freedom of speech and religion at the forefront of what is defined as basic human rights.  Our own country was founded on these ideals as well.

Wikileaks has brought the issue of net neutrality into debate world-wide now.  I urge you to look through the smoke and around the mirrors and focus on the important issue at hand while all this transpires.  We are the audience and will live with the outcome.  Our government as well as others in the world are pressuring companies to do everything in their power to shut down this single website.  The content of this site (however you may feel about it) aside, it is perfectly legal to provide a forum for this information to be shared.  This week, under urging from governments affected by this information, companies such as Amazon stopped providing hosting for this website without justification.  Mastercard, Visa and PayPal have cut off use of their services to make donations to Wikileaks, severing the site's financial influx which keeps it hosted and alive.  These are actions by companies which should be completely neutral in such affairs, but are making biased decisions and dissolving the concept of net neutrality as we know it. 

What happens next year when your website or social networking profile can be hijacked, investigated, and removed for speaking out against capitalism or American ideology?  What happens when you can be charged as a terrorist for donating money to a cause you believe in (but goes against what the government prefers?)  We have to voice our opinions while we have the freedom of speech and thought still in tact (in person and in digital form.)  No matter your political stance or opinion of Wikileaks, acknowledge today that governments and businesses have NO place in deciding the content you access on the internet, just as they cannot ban a book or stop you from speaking on the street, or stop you from organizing.  You don't need to be sheltered from the freedom to inform yourself and in-turn speak your mind.