The Dirty Show 2008: An Alternative to the Typical Valentines Day Date
Posted: 2/4/2008

Erotic performance art, a fetish photographer, your own personal professional photo shoot; and those are just a few of the highlights at this years Dirty Show. Created by Jerry Vile the Dirty Show has shocked, inspired, and stirred up controversy in Detroit since 2000. Since then the show which is held during Valentines Day weekend, has grown into a multi day event that is full of erotic art and antics that can't be described.

This year guests can expect to see art from Martin HM Schreiber, International Photographer of Madonna's first nudes who will be offering the unique opportunity of a Private Photo Shoot by Silent Auction and fetish photographer Eric Kroll, one of the leading names in modern erotica, will also be having a special afternoon seminar February 9th. Recently DFP talked to Jerry to get the real dirt on the Dirty Show.

DFP: Describe the dirty show in one sentence.

Jerry: An adventurous little underground opening that got out of hand and somehow turned into the biggest erotic art event in the world.

DFP: What would you tell someone who may want to go to the Dirty Show but is a little shy?

Jerry: It only hurts for a little bit, and then you will start to enjoy it. Seriously, you are allowed to be shy at the Dirty Show - nobody is going to force you to mingle. But it is a really good environment NOT to be shy in. People let down their guard after being there a while. They start enjoying themselves.

DFP: Besides the artists and the special seminars that are going on can regular attendee's expect anything different this year?

Jerry: Every year each and every piece of the art is completely different - every exhibition kind of takes on it's own personality. This year we had over 2,500 submissions, we accepted less than 15% of what came in. We try not to repeat ourselves. Every performance piece is new - so would be doing new shows - there are new performance artists. Even we don't know what's going to happen.

DFP: What is the criteria that you use to select the pieces that go in the show?

Jerry: It is a formula, based on artistic merit (style and talent) and of course the overall erotic feel of the piece. It is about the emotion in a piece. Sometimes a picture of a high heel is totally hot and a hardcore shot can be boring. Some people are sexier with clothes on.

DFP: What are some of the wildest things that have happened in years past?

Jerry: We prefer not to talk about that. We'll just let them become urban legends.

DFP: What kind of role do you think erotic artists play in the art community as a whole?

Jerry: They are often the pariahs of the art world. Much of the Dirty Show are just regular artists working in our theme. So you get all these different styles of erotic work, from folk to fine art. It helps the community as a whole, when many artists sell a piece, they head straight to the bar. This is economics.

DFP: Is there any kind of imagery that is not acceptable or off limits at the Dirty Show?

Jerry: If someone were to send us child porn, we wouldn't just reject them, we would call the FBI. Other than that, I really can't think of anything except for clichés. There are a lot of clichés in erotic art- it's been going on since cave painting. But a really great artist can do something that is completely overdone and make it completely fresh and original. It happens every show.

Jerry: Besides the Madonna pictures are there any other recognizable people in the show?

DFP: You'll see original Betty Page photos from Bunny Yeager, who actually made the leopard print outfit Betty is famous for. Lots of artists paint famous people in erotic situations to make a statement, so you'll see George Bush and Yogi Bear. Erotic models are more likely to be notorious than famous. You are more likely to see the next Madonna or the next Betty Page, because other than Britney, most celebs don't need to expose themselves for attention.

DFP: What kind of criticism have you received from the media and or other artists if any, and what do you say to them?

Jerry: The media is famous for bringing up the question, "Is it art or porn"? Artists are free to criticize the event all they want. We have discovered most who criticize the show have never been. Which is probably good because we wouldn't want a bunch of tight-asses bringing down the vibe. This show has an amazing energy - while it is mostly mingling and talking, everyone is happy, in good humor and mingling. And the people who wear fetish wear enjoy eyeballing the normal people just as much as the reverse. I have been to hundreds and hundreds of art openings- and I have never felt anything like what happens at Dirty. Artists come in from all over the country and are blown away by the show and our crowds. They don't have anything like this in NY, Miami, Chicago or LA. It is very cool to impress people from cities that have a lot going on.

Despite our reputation, the Dirty Show is an art exhibition. It does everything a good art exhibition is supposed to do. It is really hard to get bored looking at the subject matter—as a species we are all naturally curious. Still it is not meant to serve as your entire evening, if you come in from opening to close you would get bored no matter how engaging the art is.


The 2008 Dirty Show starts February 8th and is open the 9th, 10th, 14th and 16th. This Valentines day skip the usual dinner and a movie type stuff and check out the Dirty show, get inspired and then go make some art of your own.

~ Toni Cozad
toni@detroitfashionpages.com

2008 - Dirty Show - Detroit
International Erotic Art Exhibition
BERT'S WAREHOUSE THEATER
2727 Russell St. Detroit

February 8, Friday Evening "OPENING NIGHT"
6:00pm - 2:00am | 21 & Over

February 9, Saturday Evening
6:00pm - 2:00am | 21 & Over

February 10, Sunday "DAYTIME" Only
1:00pm - 6:00pm | 18 & Over

February 14, Thursday "Valentine's Day"
4:00pm - 12:00 midnight | 18 & Over

February 16, Saturday Evening "Closing Night"
6:00pm - 2:00am | 18 & Over

www.dirtyshow.org

---

COMMENTS

Submitted by jbhmygke on 1/28/2009 2:34:13 AM


Submitted by vifooahe on 1/24/2009 8:19:03 PM


Submitted by on 9/24/2008 5:24:03 PM


Submitted by Annette Schwarz on 9/12/2008 3:40:17 AM
Wow, you should watch some vids at youtube from the last shows. Really inspiring. I'll write something on my blog!

Click here for more comments