The upcoming art show, "Blacks: The Beauty of Black Sexuality," which runs from Feb. 14 to April 4 at the Antebellum Gallery in Hollywood, has the exhibit's curator, Carlos Batts, in a talkative mood.
"It's a show that I've been preparing for the past two and half years," said Batts, whose adults-only videos include The Exhibitionist and Crazy Sex. "The core of the show is American artists, but it's not an exclusive thing. It's a very sophisticated collection of black artists."
Among the artists being showcased are Belasco, Alva Bernadine, George Pitts, Marc Baptiste and Batts.
Batts said he wants the exhibit to have an impact. "Art has lost its ability to influence culture. Art is supposed to be where politicians and intellectuals and students and people turn to challenge society. It's not supposed to be a logo for corporate identity," he explained.
Batts is applying the same approach to other projects as well. "I'm trying to be eye-level with art," he said. "I'm working on another show right now called 'Man vs. Robot' that'll be out next year. It's about global warming and robots. I'm working on another show called 'Riding With Mary.' It's my friend who documented this statue of Mary as he drove around for two years in the middle of his divorce and was losing his mind. Blacks, Man vs. Robot and Riding With Mary are the three exhibits I'm working on now."
Heady stuff, indeed.
In addition to the exhibit, the show will also host several salons which will include a Batts movie night, a live sketch class, a hookah den and a southern tea party.
To see and learn more about Carlos Batts, see CarlosBatts.com and CarlosBatts.imeem.com.
