Pornography and prostitution: two things that generally send American (re: Puritan) society into a hissy fit.
The amount of energy in our culture devoted to keeping these lustful vices at bay could probably power a small city. That is why it's extra-refreshing when a performance artist like San Francisco's Annie Sprinkle graces our campus with her hilarious, straightforward presence. Sprinkle confronts sex and sexuality in a frank and engaging manner through her projects, lectures, demonstrations and art. She will be giving a presentation via AU's visiting artist series in Ward 1 at 8 p.m. tonight.
Sprinkle is a self-described "prostitute/porn star turned performance artist/sexologist." Her work includes a wide variety of films and projects that divulge into the glamorous and not so glamorous parts of her life in sex. Her most time-consuming and laborious project is the seven-year undertaking known as the "Love Art Laboratory." Love Art started on Dec. 18, 2004, with a formal commitment made by Sprinkle and her partner, artist Elizabeth Stephens. It's a multi-disciplinary project that was an initial response to "violence and hatred of war and the anti-gay marriage movement," according to the project's Web site.
From 2005 to 2011, each of the project's seven years is categorized by a specific theme within the overarching one of love. Last year's was "Security, Survival," while 2006 is "Sexuality, Creativity." The project will end with "Union, Wisdom" and a marriage ceremony.
The early career of Annie Sprinkle follows a relatively standard path for a successful porn star. In 1981, she was the second-highest selling video star for the film "Deep Inside Annie Sprinkle," which was considered innovative at the time for emphasizing the female orgasm. The film had also earned the attention of social critics and scholars, noting its revolutionary approach to female sexuality in an otherwise highly patriarchal context. In a dramatic, deliberate move that combined both art and life, she officially changed her name from Ellen Steinberg to Annie Sprinkle.
Sprinkle's work consistently challenges preconceived stereotypes of male-female dynamics in the world of pornography and sexuality, as well as pre-established heteronormative roles. Projects like her "Golden Shower Ritual Kit" emphasize her approach to conceptual analysis of fetish and domination in sexual roles. The "Post-Porn Modernist" project, done from 1989 to 1995, was a deconstructionist presentation on body, self and society. The notorious "Public Cervix Announcement" segment of the presentation included Sprinkle spread-eagle on her back with a speculum, allowing audience members to examine her cervix. Sprinkle is indeed the holder of a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality.
Very little information is available about Annie Sprinkle's presentation tonight. What topics will be discussed, as well as who is sponsoring this event, has yet to be determined, but if anything this reflects on the very reason why a presentation like this is needed on the AU campus. The total lack of openness in publicizing an event like this reflects the very oppression and denial that Sprinkle strives to combat.
