Size Matters

A controversial group of artists named VOINA is simultaneously being awarded a first-prize award by the Russian Ministry of art and being charged with something, probably vandalism, by the City of St. Petersburg for their project which resulted in drawing a 210 ft dick on a bridge. If the Russian Ministry was the "Freshmen Boys Group of Funny and Inappropriate images", the award might even make some sense. Basically, they painted, very crudely, a big dick on a bridge as it was about to be raised...Teehee goes all the teenagers, annoyed goes all the city officials,  and cursing under their breath go the lowly clean-up squad.

First of all, I think street art is awesome, so seeing that as art has never been a problem for me. It's the kids who scribble their name, cross out other people's stuff, or draw sophomoric drawings that any idiot with a sharpie can do that kinda gets to me. You're not standing up to the man by writing "boobs" on your school bathroom stall, you're creating work for the janitor who frankly, probably has better things to do. You're not sticking it to the millionaire landowner by scribbling "Dan the Man" all over his brick wall, you're pissing off the guy that doesn't get paid enough to do whatever his boss tells him. And you aren't making a political statement by drawing a big dick on a bridge, you're asserting the notion for the city leaders that vandalism, whether its a dick or an elaborate and beautiful piece of work, is worthless and the people that do it are immature criminals.

Is the state of visual art in St. Petersburg, or Russia (I don't know how vast the view is for this award) so bad that this is the best they can find? If that's the case, I'm moving to Petersburg and trying to help out.

Seriously, a giant dick? I think a bunch of jocks at my high school did the same thing in the boys locker room. Did you only have time for a 20 second brainstorm or is that really the crowning achievement for a group whose name translates to "war." I guess if this is their idea of war we have absolutely nothing to worry about, and other than buying a bit of turpentine, neither does St. Petersburg.