The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

6 - Tuesday, December 2, 2014

COMMUNITY & CULTURE COLUMN
Kim Kardashian
and the art of

014has truly been a
fascinatingyear for
conversations about the naked
female body.
We've seen the digital
#FreeTheNipple
movement,
which protests
the restrictions
social media
platforms like
Instagram
put on photos
that expose KATHLEEN
breasts, while DAVIS
leaving topless
male photos
untouched. We've seen the
massive hacking of female
celebrity nude photos and the.
angry backlash thatfollowedtheir
release online. We've also seen
the nude Kim Kardashian Paper
Magazine photoshoot, which
threatened to #BreakTheInternet,
and almostsucceeded, given the
debate between supporters and
detractors of the photosthat
exploded from every corner of
the web. While bloggers, fans and
journalists all tried to decipher
the meaning and intention behind
the photographs shot by Jean-
Paul Goude, one question brought
up by multiple sources grabbed
my attention: Are the naked Kim
Kardashian photos art? And if
so - or if not - where is the line
betweennudityas artand nudity
as tasteless?
We've had a few weeks to
digest how Kim broke the
Internet, and life has carried
on normally forthe most part.
For those who have notyet seen
the NSFW photos, they're a
cheeky recreation of the same
photographer's controversial
and semi-iconic "Champagne
Incident." The 1982 photograph
featured a young Black model
pouring an exploding bottle of
champagne perfectly over her
head and into the a glass she has
balanced onher ass.While Kim

be nude
K is clothed in her recreation of contemporary artistsfrom
the photo, the other three photos creatingsome beautiful pieces of
in the spread show her in various art featuring butts that wouldn't
stages of undress, culminating necessarily offend your grandma.
in a full-frontal shot and the Nudity in photography is
photo that launched a thousand an entirely differentcan of
memes: Kimlooking over her worms,but one that is crucial
shoulder and completely exposing to conversations about what
her famous derriere. As Paper is considered modern art. The
Magazine intended,the Internet line between whether a photo
exploded. It's also important to of a naked woman is artistic
mention that Paper Magis not or pornographic is dependent
a pornographic magazine, but on a myriad of factors, like
one focused on art, fashion and artistic credibility, lighting and
alternative music. poses, which oftentimes are so
The history of naked bodies subjective to the viewer that the
in art is a fascinatingsubject. conversation becomes defunct.
Walk into any seasoned art It's totally plausible to look at a
museum and you're bound to see nude photograph and appreciate it
a collection of genitals that, in for its artistic credibility. It's also
any other context, would shock possible that the photo was meant
any man, woman or child. Yet for pornographic purposes. Ifa
I've never seen a "18+" sign in photo can be both, is it possible
front of a Rodin or a Botticelli. that there's no distinction?
Artists of nudes of any medium Do we feel scandalizedby Kim
are considered some of the most Kardashian'sbare butt because
highly regarded in history, and we feel like we know her after
there's absolutelyno questionthat years of"Keepingup withthe
they should be. The amount of Kardashians" and countless
work and sheer genius that goes tabloid covers? Possibly. I like the
into a piece of art at the scale of Paper Magazine photoshoot. I
a Donatello sculpture or "The like how Kim looks directly at the
Birth of Venus" is mind bending. cameraas to assert her dominance
We see Michelangelo's David and over the situation instead of
don't think he was a pervy guy; seeming passive. And the article
we think of him as an incredibly that accompanies the pictures
talented sculptor who still portrays Kim as smart and savvy,
influences sculpture to this day. master of her self-created digital
(I, onthe otherhand, sawDavid world. Paper Mag. wants you
in the Art Institute of Chicago at to know that Kim Kardashian
the ripe age of five or six, and was knows what you think ofher. In
left with years of questions about fact, she's very aware. Now she
male anatomy and potential topics wants to break your Internet.
for adult therapy.) I'm not sure if there will ever be
Modern and contemporary a consensus about the artistic
art have also taken advantage of credibility of the Paper Magazine
the beauty of the human body, photos, butI can confirm one
but most often the results don't thing: Whether she meant to or
have the same impact as classical not, Kim opened up an interesting
nudes. Why? Perhaps the ideaof conversation about nudity in art,
timelessness in the marble and and now she has my attention.
canvases add to the argument
that Renaissance artists were the Davis is keeping up with tasteful
peak of nudes in art. However, nudes everywhere. To join her,
thatargumenthasn'tstopped e-mail katjacqu@umich.edu.

'A

I

Simon says "Clench your teeth"
AC/DC rocks, doeSn't
bust on new album

Australian band's
sixteenth release
shows vitality
By MICHAEL FLYNN
DailyArts Writer
AC/DC has had a rough
year, to say the least. Not only
has the band had to contend
with losing
its longtime B
rhythm
guitarist Rock or
Malcolm Bust
Young to
dementia, AC/DC
but now
drummer Columbia
Phil Rudd
faces charges for drug
possession, leaving his
future in question. But the
Australian hard rockers have
responded the only way they
know how: by going to the
studio and making good out_
of bad through music. The
result is Rock or Bust, an
energetic album that doesn't
bring any new flavors to the
AC/DC . sound or contain
any standout tracks, but
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nevertheless showcases the
band's vitality and ability
to soldier on through tough
times.
The name of' the game
for AC/DC has always
been consistency, and this
holds true on Rock or Bust.
Rather than try to dabble
in contemporary styles, the
group has again stuck with
the tried-and-true formula of
povwer chords, nimble single-
note riffs, Angus Young's
searing guitar solos and
irreverent party-time lyrics
delivered by the husky-voiced
Brian Johnson. The creative
well has dried a bit (as it
does when any band passes
its 40th year), meaning there
are no songs on Rock or Bust
on par with classics such as
"Highway to Hell" or "Back
in Black." There are no
instantly recognizable riffs
and the predominantly mid-
tempo songs blend together.
But what the tracks lack_
in originality, they make
up for in volume, energy
and fun, and with each one
clocking under four minutes,
the album works perfectly
as a quick jolt of musical
adrenaline - the musical
equivalent of black coffee.
The group does not
explicitly mention the
Young's struggle or
delinquent Rudd in lyrical
form, but there are subtle
nods to the trying times that
have colored the album's
production. The cheery
major-key romp "Rock the
Blues Away" has a tinge of
melancholy, as the narrator
takes solace in his car, his
friends and his girl to try
and forget his troubles. The
slow, groovy "Hard Times"
is the closest thing Rock
or Bust has to a mission
statement, featuring a lyrical
call for downtrodden folks
everywhere to rise above
their circumstances (plus
some of the dirtiest lead
guitar that Angus Young has
ever played.) The album's
title track affirms the band's
belief that their commitment
to rock 'n' roll will help them
overcome present and future
challenges: "In rock we trust
/ It's rock or bust." Elsewhere
on the record, the band fully
embraces the sex and violence
rock is known for, from the
very direct carnality of"Rock
the House" to the juvenile
humor of "Emission Control,"
from the menace and doom of
"Dogs of War" to the defiant
F-you to mortality of "Play
Ball," the album's lead single.
The album's greatest
strengthisnotinits individual

songs, but its classic AC/DC
sound. New rhythm guitarist
Stevie Young has mastered
his retired uncle Malcolm's
sound and technique,
establishing himself as a
capable replacement, and the
veterans of the band are in
top form. Malcolm Young's
presence is strong on the
record (he holds co-writing
credit on all eleven tracks),
as is the rhythm section of
Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff
Williams (Rudd completed
his parts before his legal
troubles began). Producer
Brendan O'Brien eschews
studio reverb and effects,
preferring an unpolished
production approach that
allows the grit and spirit of
the performances to shine
through. Each cut captures
the camaraderie and sense of
fun that the band members
share, proving that AC/DC is
no standard-issue corporate
rock band, but a family: a
band of brothers bonded by
music.
This familial bond has kept
the band from getting too
personal with its music, out
of respect for the privacy of
Young and Rudd. As such, the
lyrical content is superficial
- had AC/DC featured
more explicit references
to its struggles, the album
certainly would have been
more emotionally gripping,
and would have displayed a
never-before-heard sensitive
side of the band. But AC/DC's
mission has always been to
provide entertainment, not to
tug on peopie's heartstrings.
Plus, exploiting the suffering
of Young and Rudd for
commercial and artistic
purposes would be cheap
and disrespectful. While this
impersonality makes for a
weaker album, it shows that
the group has something that
is often overlooked in the
rock world: integrity.
Most rock bands don't make
it past 10 years of life, so it's a
wonder AC/DC has survived
this long. The group's future
is undoubtedly uncertain, but
if Rock or Bust turns out to
be its final album, it will be a
fine capstone to over 40 years
of rocking and rolling. It is a
derivative album, a retread of
ideas that the band has been
recycling since day one. But it
is also a raucous celebration
of life, and most importantly,
it is a rock album that sounds
incredibly good. When faced
with the decision to rock or
to bust, AC/DC have chosen
once again to rock. Angus,
Malcolm, Stevie, Brian, Cliff,1
Phil ... we salute you.

RELEASEDRI- Tuesday, Decemoer 2, 2'14
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
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