Ben Talbert: Love & Luck Revisited: an Exhibition of Erotic Art

Benny (Ben) Jack Talbert                                                  Luck and Love Revisited 

An Exhibition of Erotic (Vulgar) Art                      Robert Berman Gallery Bergamot Station               January - February 2010

Benny was my uncle and this is a showing of his work....  There is a partial exhibition of his anti-war assemblage (which was always on display in his home)  in one part of the gallery.  Unfortunately the "Ace" (the premier piece of the anti-war collection) being displayed in Utah.

But there is a second room filled with the smaller playing cards depicting totally graphic sexual scenes and several larger than life paintings of the same genre. 

The work itself is excellent, tight and has an excellent use of color and flow, but the content is vulgar and not to my taste.  The curator Hal Glicksman notes the work as "Erotic", but I have to disagree....

According to Merriam-Webster: 

Main Entry: erot·ic

Pronunciation: \i-ˈrä-tik\

Variant(s): also erot·i·cal \-ti-kəl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Greek erōtikos, from erōt-, erōs

Date: 1651

1 : of, devoted to, or tending to arouse sexual love or desire

2 : strongly marked or affected by sexual desire

— erotic noun

— erot·i·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Dictionary.com 

e⋅rot⋅ic

 /ɪˈrɒtɪk/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [i-rot-ik] Show IPA

Use erotic in a Sentence

See images of erotic

Search erotic on the Web

–adjective Also, e⋅rot⋅i⋅cal.

1.	arousing or satisfying sexual desire: an erotic dance.

2.	of, pertaining to, or treating of sexual love; amatory: an erotic novel.

3.	subject to or marked by strong sexual desire.

–noun

4.	an erotic poem.

5.	an erotic person.

---

Origin:
1615–25; < Gk erōtikós of love, caused by love, given to love, equiv. to erōt- (s. of érōs) Eros + -ikos -ic

Related forms:

e⋅rot⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. sensuous, sexy, aphrodisiac, erogenous.

Although, the word relates to sexual desire...the Greek origin included "love" in the meaning...  


I believe that Ben's work had nothing to do with love, but was given to blatant male sexual desire without the least iota of love.  There was nothing amatory about these works of art. It is raw cold calculated maleness depicted in a harsh, angry, and violent manner, which can be disturbing to a sensitive palate.



Keeping that in mind, the art technique is right on top, the portrayal is just as Benny wanted it to be, so then this exhibition is a success
(albeit one that is cold and without heart) even if not to my taste.


What would have made this a better all around show would have been that Hal Glicksman had called those of us who are in ownership of Benny's other works and had displayed them as well.  This would have presented Benny as a more rounded artist rather than presenting him as the deviant fanatic he became in the years prior to his death.

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A Faerie Tale From Life

Once upon several years back….most likely 1994, a woman met a man and for her it was true heartfelt unconditional love at first sight…..but little did she know……

This woman barely 40 years of youth, long given up on love, was known as Incante Sica Winyan (Heartsick Woman)….but the reason of her name is another story for another time…..

This Winyan, was minding her own business, walking upon this here Canka Luta Waste (Good Red Road) taking care of an injured; Eagle (Adak), Hawk (Mariah), Owl (Socrates) , Turkey Vulture (Aristotle) & Arctic Fox (Sitka) and working with gourds when she met “That Man”.

“That Man” was a gourd farmer…and one afternoon while his wife was away Incante Sica Winyan went out to purchase gourds from him so that she might offer Spirit Gourd Vessels to others.

Well the two connected on many levels….as she spoke to him of who she was, he listened without judgment.  When she spoke of her beliefs, he still listened…when she spoke of her companion the Eagle…he heard her.

After paying for her gourds, That Man asked her to follow him….he took her to a ranch that was bordered by a bosque of very tall & ancient eucalyptus trees…where the turkey vultures nested.  He led her to the bosque and there upon the earth beneath the trees were very many feathers from those Turkey Vultures that lived in the bosque…which he helped her to gather and then gifted to her.

Such a gift of loving kindness brought a tear to her eye and a spark of life to her heart…as she thanked him, he hugged her…..

As they stood there looking into each others eyes she silently said: “That man, Creator. That man.  That is whom I want to love, whom I want to be with”.  But, Creator, that man has a wife, and never would I want him to divorce her because of me, not ever…so then Creator, you make that man happy and give him a good life and good relationship and find me another man as kind, loving, open hearted and generous as that man.  However, Creator, should anything ever happen and he ever become divorced, may I be there.  Thank-you, Creator”.

Well, things went right on along…Winyan & That Man met up here & there with his wife and doing business, never with more than a slight nod & a “Hello”.  Yet, there and again, while doing business, Winyan noticed strangeness between That Man & his wife, but little did Winyan think anything about it.

After another year or so (you might ask That Man for he knows the dates much better than she)…..Winyan called once again in need of gourds.  That Man answered the phone, but Winyan had little recognition of him and asked to speak to his wife.  She was informed that the wife no longer lived there and did Winyan want the wife’s new phone number, to which Winyan replied: “No, I want to purchase gourds”.  Well, That Man said: “I have gourds”.  To which Winyan replied: “is that you….(she called him by his name)”?  And, yes it was That Man. 

Winyan and That Man spoke for what seemed like hours and they agreed on a time and date to meet out where they gourds grew…..  Now Winyan was very excited to be meeting up with That Man again, for mostly she had put her dreams away and continued her life as it was laid out for her by Creator.

When the day arrived and the two met up again…for it had been many years (That Man can tell you just how many), Winyan and That Man passed away many hours talking to each other and laughing as if they had always been friends….as Winyan was ready to leave That Man said to her: “You’re the girl with the feathers” and although her heart leapt with joy and screamed “Yes! You Remember Me!” Winyan shyly replied: “Yes, I am”.

Winyan was even more surprised upon her departure when That Man grabbed hold of her and held her tightly to him…..not letting go for many minutes.  Happily with her hear open Winyan went to the Sacred Place where she thanked Creator for what she believed to be a reunion with That Man, whom she had long ago tucked away in her heart.

As time went by, Winyan and That Man would occasionally spend time together in a loving comfortable way …but after That Man’s divorce became final… he closed his heart and began to turn away from Winyan.  As they drove along the gourd patch one day he admitted to her that he had become “A Bitter Old Man”, and try as Winyan might, no matter how many prayers & tobacco offerings Winyan made, not any of her comforting words, not any amount of loving kindness that she gifted to him would ever change his bitterness.  Sadly when the time finally came to give her self over to That Man in an intimate manner, Winyan was unable to do so, for in the depths of her heart she knew that no matter how much she would love him, That Man would never be able to feel it nor would their relationship take root. 

Eventually (after eight years) of That Man carelessly playing push & pull with Winyan’s heart she knew it was time for her to move on.  So for Winyan’s 2010 New Year’s Resolution she spoke to Creator and said: “Thank-you Creator for bringing That Man into my life.  Thank-you for the love we did share, thank-you allowing me to open my heart again, heal my heart, and love unconditionally…Thank-you for allowing me to learn, compassion & empathy and how to understand a man’s pain.  But now Creator it is time for me to move on and love a man that is healthy, able, and willing to love.  A man just like That Man would be, would he be healthy, happy, & whole.  Thank-you Creator, Thank-you”

So that my good people, is the not-so love story of Incante Sica Winyan and That Man.

Mi Takuye Oyacin