9, vol 114 -- June 30, 2003

culture: Cops blow off sex performance
Stephen Hui, News Editor

A controversial performance featuring live oral sex went off without incident as the police, appearing to retreat from earlier threats to ly criminal charges, stayed away.

The media almost outnumbered audience members attending the sold out opening of Public Sex, Art, and Democracy at the Art of Loving gallery and store in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood last Thursday nigh.

"I think they have done the reasonable and proper thing and looked at this very soberly and looked at this with their duty in mind, which is to protect the public from harm," lawyer Rishi Gill told reporters before the performance.

Gill,who represents those involved with Public Sex, said he had "received word" that the police would not be present. A spokesperson for the Vancouver Police Department did not return a telephone call.

People attending the performance signed conent forms attesting that they were 19 years or older and aware that they would be observing live sex.

"We'd like to make it very clear that anybody that's coming to see it knows what's happening and they hopefully then won't be outraged - unless tey're complete morons," Gill said.

According to the artist, Martin Guderna, public response to news of the performance was overwhelmingly positive. The audience, Guderna said, was necessary to "witness" the event.

"My main motivation is t document erotica," the artist said.

Several reporters who had not paid the $20 price of admission were allowed inside the venue to watch the performance live via closed circuit television. Recording devices remained outside, along with a few repoters and camera operators who peeked through the window blinds to get a look at the performance.

The oral sex occurred during the second act. Performers Tanya Seltenrich and Dana Williams engaged in foreplay and settled into the "69" position on a table in front of the audience. After several minutes, Guderna began rolling red paint onto parts of their naked bodies before covering the real life couple with a white sheet. Finally, the artist pulled the sheet off the couple, revealing an image resembling a prehistoric cave painting.

"I instantly knew what he was doing," said Ehor Boyanowsky, a criminal sociologist at Simon Fraser University, after the performance. "He was creating a template very similar to the ones you see on cavern walls. It's kind of a primitive sort of record of what actually took place."

Boyanowsky and other audience members expressed delight at being able to play a role in the event. Some of them even considered it a significant social milestone.

"I think that the whole point of this production is to tap the limits of our society around what is acceptable as far as sexual expression," said Shimmy, a 37 year old Vancouver resident. "These guys might be taking a brave step forward in pushing some of our accepted laws around this."

Afterwards, the performers also said they hoped their act advanced freedom of expression.

"I'm hoping that maybe it will kind of open up and break down some of the stigmas," Williams said. "Everything's always behind closed doors."

They both called the experience nerve-racking.

"For the first couple minutes for sure, but then you just kind of relax into it and get used to all the people and the energy," Seltenrich said.

"For me it was a matter of just going out and seeing if we could do it," Williams said. "It's not like climbing Everest, but again, it's a barrier that we wanted to break down."

Outside, Guderna referred to reporters' comments that the performance was "pretentious" and "very, very lame," saying that they did not bother him.

"I don't want to be the McDonald's of the art world," the artist said. "I don't want everyone to like my work."