Censorship in Berkeley? People's Park murals censored by uptight UC Spin doctor of PR

Censorship in Berkeley? People's Park murals censored by uptight UC Micropublican Spin doctor Irene Hegarty, who thinks the human body is "obscene"
Hi Irene!---

I wanted to touch base with you regarding the state of my artwork done
on the
People's Park bathroom. I appreciate the chance to help beautify and
put
positive and inspirational energy out to People's Park, IMHO a very
*SACRED
SPACE* that is unlike anywhere else on Earth.

I'm afraid I had a sneaky, rude encounter with Oski, the Cal Bear. It
seems
Oski has decided to get away from the sports arena, trying his paws on
his new
field...art criticism. Unfortunately, Oski snuck up behind me and bit
me in
the butt. I had to clean up the blood and my flesh wound but it looks
like
I'll survive after the behind the back mauling.

FYI, like most artists, I'm both sensitive and a bit tempermental .
When someone sneakily paints over my artwork behind my back without a
word to
me about it, I do my Rodney Dangerfield impression.... NO RESPECT!!!! I
GET NO
RESPECT!!!!! It sure seens that you, as the head spin doctor of UC PR
operate
disrespectfully of the entire People's Park community. Ignoring any
face-to-face conversation, you regularly act behind peoples' back, like
painting over my mural, tearing out the latest version of a People's
Park
Freebox at 6:00 AM when nobody is around, chopping down trees and
destroying
planted gardens when no one is looking. You constantly ignore any and
all
reasonable suggestions from the People's Park committee regarding
anything that
doesn't correspond to your UC secret agenda..... I'm guessing it has to
do with
the *SECRET AGREEMENT* between UC and Berkeley City Officials. I guess
my
mural, and the politics attached to it has inspired you to act in a
sneaky and
shady manner to destroy my labor of *LOVE* aka my "Stairway to Heaven"
mural.

First off, I'd like to state that my mural is NOT offensive in any way,
shape
or form. Talk about community values, you were standing right there
when that
female police officer came up and offered me her compliments on the
dancing
pink female nude (inspired by Matisse cut outs) I had painted. It was
one of
the figures that you ordered your legions to paint over!!!.... "Full
Frontal
Nudity?" Since when is a naked Barbie doll "obscene? There was also a
large
reclining figure you had painted out that had absolutely NO detail....
no
nipples or ariola details, no pubic hair.... not even a "camel toe".
Just
exactly where are you coming from censoring my mural? Who are you to
inflict
your uptightness over the human body on the people of beatific
Berkeley? I am
reminded of a vintage '67 example of Frank Zappa's mutant doo-wop that
goes
something like this...
"What's the UGLIEST part of your body?
Some say your nose, Some say your toes
But I *THINK* it's your MIND!!!!
You're MIND is UGLY!!!!!"
I want to remind you that Oski, the Cal Bear, walks around campus
without pants
on !!!! Is Oski's nudity also "obscene" to you too?


If you're so uptight about the human body I suggest you visit one of
California's nude beachs where everyone is nude.... as an adult you'll
find
it's really no big deal. You may be shamefully afraid of showing
yourself off
in your birthday suit but you'll find you'll want to take your clothes
off as
fast as possible because, since EVERYONE IS NUDE and unashamed, you
look
foolish and out-of-place wearing clothes on a nude beach.

You can also consult with artist and People's Park advocate Debbie
Moore. She
has done much good around town projecting a positive image of the human
body in
and around Berkeley. Debbie is very courageous and ground-breaking
artist with
her spontaneous exhibits of nude bodies, in all shapes and forms, that
she
encourages around Berkeley and People's Park specifically. Of course,
as an
outspoken activist, Debbie has been legally crucified by the system.
Berkeley
just couldn't come up with a jury that would convict Debbie or Marty of
obscenity for walking bare-ass around towm. In typical legal
manipulations, the
city attourney changed the laws specifically to deny nudists like
Debbie Moore
a right to a trial by a jury of her peers.

The fact is that the people of Berkeley are not like most of uptight
Americans
and a lot closer to the positive body atitutudes of Europeans in
regards to the
human body. Here in America, we consider the naked body obscene.
Madison Avenue
Advertisers use our shadow sexual energy to con us into buying stuff we
really
don't need thus pumping up our eCONomy. What makes America great? A
guy has
the freedom to go out and buy a new car... it's cheaper and less
painfull than
a penis enlargement. Girls are conned into paying big money for a
thimbleful
of chemicals that claims to *guarantee* drawing her knight in shining
karma
wet-dream "soul-mate" into her heavenly existance. Let's face the
facts.....
sexual energy is a good and positive thing we are all blessed with. As
they
used to say back in the 60's
"Use it or loose it"

There was a small dancing red-headed nude figure besides the ladder you
painted
over as well. I decided that her carpet matched her drapes,
so-to-speak. It
was really a design element... a spash of paint representing both a
flower and
femininity. Actually it wasn't her pubic hair.... I actually painted a
merkin
on her. FYI, a "merkin" is a pubic hair wig. I wans't going to show
anything
too pink or delicate of the female anatomy. The merkin wig covered it
all up!


My painting isn't inspired by Hustler magazine or porm in general....
all the
ladies I painted are not big whores like Paris Hilton or Terry
"Compost" Sal.
They are all goddesses who have traveled down here to planet Earth,
manifesting
in People's Park to enjoy our garden of Earthly delights that we are
all part
of. Goddesses have no shame about their bodies... they realize that
the human
body is a gift from the great spirit and comes in the basic form of a
God or a
Goddess. No blame... no shame.I have a BFA in painting and have
scientifically
and artistically have studied the human form for the betterment of my
art.
There is NOTHING WRONG or OBSCENE with what I've painted.... especially
in the
community of Berkeley

You say what about the children? This is the usual micropublican
reponse to
anything doing with the exhibition of the human form in any way. I
say... don't
worry about the children.... the Kids are alright! If the Parent's did
their
job of properly raising them, they wouldn't object or see anything
nasty in my
artwork. I recall when I was a child and noticed my sister was
different than
me. My expansive child imagination took hold and I figured that
everybody I
ever knew has a different "flesh sculpture" between their legs.
Imagine if I
was right!!!!.... what a horrible time it would be to get a date lined
up let
alone a lover. The Human race has enough difficulty as it is dealing
with the
two basic (male and female) models and the differences between them
that we get
issued upon birth. FYI, I'm with Maurice Chevalier on this.... "Viva la
difference"

After much meditation about what to paint, I decided to pay homage to a
very
famous and extremly revolutionary painting that hangs in the Louvre in
Paris
France. It was one of the primary paintings to launch the
Impressionist
movement at the Salon de Refuse in 1863. It's called "Luncheon on the
Grass"
painted by Edward Manet. It's a picture of two clothed bohos and a
water
maiden having a picnic with a nude lady who is staring straight at the
viewer
with a sly "I know the in-joke" Mona Lisa smile that invites everyone
to join
in the philosophical conversation/painting scene (with a free lunch
attached!!)
The fact is that Manet's painting caused quite a scandal back them
because it
portrayed just-plain-folks in the nude rather than as allegorical
mythological
figures. The fact is that Manet knew what he was doing.... creating a
new
personal mythology through art that reflected contemporary thoughts and
feelings we call "civilization".

Anyway....

I would greatly appreciate it , Irene, if you have faith in my artistic
visions staying true to the community values of Berkeley. Please keep
your
uptightness about the human body to yourself. Please don't inflict
your tired
dehumanized tiny-minded disrespectful rules on my artwork by ordering
it
painted over again. The community at large appreciates honesty and
integrity...aka "TRUTH and BEAUTY" which is the basis of all great
artworks,
poems and writings thought the ages. I hope you truly understand what
I'm
trying to communicate to you. It's all about what Aretha Franklin
sings
about....
*RESPECT*

Please *RESPECT* everyone... even the folks you may disagree with
We are all in this TOGETHER, for the good of all.
->*ONE LOVE*<-People's Park style

*PEACE* if not->NOW<-... when?
Larry Silver