Holy War Over Freedom of Expression in Joshua Tree
from PAPERMAG, by Ann Magnuson (source)
You may recall my coverage of various events at Art Queen in Joshua Tree, where I recently performed as part of High Desert Test Sites. Art Queen kindly featured both my painting work in their ROCKSTAR show as well as my assemblage of golden glitter-dipped dog-doo (from our neighbors roaming pitbulls) balanced on an old-fashioned scale. Well the scales of justice have tipped alright and for the worse out in the desert. Let me tell you this whole crazy story.
On June 10th about one month after ROCKSTAR opened, the folks at Jesus House of Prayer called the sheriff’s office to complain about a piece installed on the Art Queen grounds, titled “Buttercup,” by sculptor and Art Queen co-proprietor Randy Polumbo. This piece is basically a big flower, and one of the most surreal and beautiful things I have seen conjured by this artist. His typical work features electronics, solar panels, and all manners of naughty bits and found embarrassing personal items. This particular piece is rather elegant and beckons to the stars almost like an alien blossom signalling out into space for cosmic pollination (or otherworldly orifices). It is about five feet across, and has solar panels for petals, and an interior of silicone dildos Polumbo hand-selected for what he calls "harmonic color". Did I mention that in the center is a flesh colored butt plug the size of a coffee can?
So this piece charges all day long in the desert sun, and at dusk lets loose a brilliant cool blaze of light from several hundred tiny LEDs installed at the bottom of the dildos. The result is Buttercup looks rather like a giant radioactive sea anemone. Needless to say, this piece has been attracting a lot of attention in JT lately. It is a little bit of a surprise to walk up and be faced with several dozen foot-long (or longer) dildos, but somehow it all works to form an organic, abstract composition. And thematically what is a flower but a sex organ, right?
Since Buttercup is powered with solar energy she evokes a rather apocalyptic image of future-mutant procreation - one that gets under your skin even from a distance. Maybe some hotel in Vegas should consider hiring Polumbo to do a HUGE version of this for their casino signage? It would rival the dearly departed Stardust sign as one of the most dazzling! (Not to mention attracting millions into their lair! Could be great for the world's first brothel/casino on The Strip! Or wait a minute, aren't all the hotels there already that?)
Anyway... upon receipt of the complaint, the Sheriff’s office dispatched a deputy. Since the church rented an old storefront on the Art Queen grounds and because this was within view of their "seldom used side door" (as described by Polumbo), they claimed they could not “conduct their business". But according to Art Queen, the business the church has with the public is up the hill to the west in JT where they have a huge tent revival. (Calling Elmer Gantry! Or Marjoe?)
Polumbo tells me the church sent him "hilarious" letters calling him a pornographer. (If the butt plug fits...) but Polumbo counters that they rented the space from him under false pretenses, claiming they needed somewhere to count all their money and do office work. Then they moved in and immediately made a little storefront church (which Polumbo had no problem with since Art Queen is "an inclusive kind of place"...until censorship rears it's ugly head). The upshot is the deputy covered the piece with a big blue tarp and, according to the folks at Art Queen, "knotted it up like some B&D project". Oooh, how very Christo of them! (See the photo below with Deputy Andrews standing by his work with Pastor Joey Josephs and Mrs. Josephs)
According to Polumbo not one of these folks attempted to reach the artist who claims he "did not intend to offend anyone." The reverend and his wife, who was apparently in politics in Cathedral City, later said to assorted bystanders that they "stamped out porno and nude establishments there" and that this was a matter of principal. Polumbo believes this proves it had nothing to do with business and everything to do with fundamentalists deciding whose voice merits being heard, which he calls "reprehensible." Shari Elf, the other proprietor of Art Queen, documented the inspiring fact that Buttercup charged and continued to glow right through the blue tarp (see these photos below of Buttercup before and after the coverup!)
Strangely enough, the Jesus House of Prayer moved out at the end of June and they uncovered poor Buttercup themselves. They came back to measure how far it was from the sidewalk, shot video and sometimes, the folks at ART QUEEN tell us, "preachers actually preach there." (Would love a transcript of those sermons!) So maybe a holy war is afoot in this sleepy desert town? Polumbo has a file opened with the ACLU who are very interested to see how this drama develops. Check out Buttercup and the rest of the rockin' ROCKSTAR show if you are in JT. It is right on Highway 62 about a half block after Park Blvd.
And don't forget to bring plenty of lube!
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