You all might hate this story. It's a story about Josh and Pete two high school guys and something they do which offends Josh's father Louis. It's about pornography, life, death, approval, and, disapproval, and finally about differernt points of view. It was first published in a literary zine Wanton Spirit. Hope you like it.
Nipple Shot Copyright 2001 by Chris Yost
"But of course only the best people are here," Henri announced warmly with a humorous wink which softened the implied snobbery of his words.
"So of course that means you're here," Louis said smiling, shaking his hand in a show of genuine friendship for the playwright.
An unwanted interloper, Darkness pressed against the windows of Louis' and Daniel's well-lighted art gallery. The moisture of the southern summer evening made the glass feel like cold, hard, slick flesh. Sculptures, paintings, and pottery all done by gay artists were placed in their appointed places, not massed in a cluttered array, but rather expertly; properly spaced to their own individual advantage. Exhibits were routinely rotated to keep the gallery fresh and appealing to the public. The walls were painted a stalk white, while the floor was an expensive black marble tile. In its own special corner of the gallery was Pamela's collection of Greek vases. Tonight was the exhibit's first showing to the public eye.
"I like this vase, I think," Louis said with a bell-like tone, picking up a kylix, a shallow, stemmed, two-handled drinking cup used in ancient Greece, with Dionysus sailing over the sea carrying his gifts to mankind; a spouting grape vine, and barrels of wine. The god was accompanied by sporting dolphins.
He held it carefully in the light of the gallery, examining the slip of shifted clay covering the cup. Holding it by its two handles, he inspected the curves of its surface, feeling the magnificent smooth and ancient touch of the cup on his examining hands.
"You are looking at my favorite drinking cup," a purr vibrated in his ear, accompanied by a slender arm which held his thin waist hostage.
Pamela's red lips presented themselves for an uninteresting kiss from Louis.
"It was very nice of you and Danny to give me the opportunity to show off my collection," Pamela said, shimmering in her silk skirt and blouse of iris colors, deep, dark purples blended in with threads of woven gold.
"It was nice of Mark to contribute his terracotta oil lamps also," Danny said, taking up her gloved hand to be properly kissed.
"Those nasty things," Pamela said with a dismissive frown, "They're are simple pornography for curious onlookers. Look at that silly one. A Jupiter being serviced by a Gamymede. It's too embarrassing, wretchedly tasteless."
"I can't say it's pornographic," Louis said mildly, "The painting in terracotta of Jupiter is a triumph if the mature male anatomy, the grain growing in the back ground, and the gracefulness found in Ganymede's boyish figure gives the whole piece a rather rustic charm."
"Now, you are, as you always say Louis, bullshitting me!" Pamela scoffed.
"Not at all," Louis smilingly assured her, "I rather think there is no such thing as pornography unless the subject matter is meant to wound someone personally. And even then, we are meant to be wounded or affected in some fashion by art. I sometimes get bored about limpid moons over quiet lakes with insipid wild life in the foreground. Sometimes I prefer ugly art. Art which is so tragic you go away being stabbed by the absurdities which makes life bleed. I like that: skulls, blackness, tortured nudity, lonely lives trapped in the meaningful cages of sculpture or paintings. Take Eugene's Delacroix's, "Medea". His version of a tense Medea with her wild eyes and dagger, the woman scorned by her husband, ready to kill their two, small boys. Dalacroix called his painting an odious subject and an object of art. A genus of rage, guilt, and horror compiled in an unspeakable act of a mother murdering her children."
"You haven't a clue what you're talking about! Art is supposed to be inspiring, to tug a person out of the sameness of everyday life. A pleasant, inspiring experience," Pamela insisted. "What is so inspiring about old man being jerked off by a young boy's hands?'"
"Nudity is beautiful," Henri said smiling, "I never saw a nude which I didn't appreciate."
"There is a painting I'm partial to. Emil Nolde's painting of "St. Mary of Egypt among the Sinners." She is depicted to look Jewish, her breasts, her body painted in lurid tonality of bright colors. The men reach for her breasts. Their faces ugly and lewd. Her message, her being a saint, a witness to the resurrection, is vanished due to the vulgarity of her sex. And I can't help but feel compassion for them all. For her, in that her self-worth is being ridiculed. For them, the sinners, in that they can't see her beyond the sensuality of her flesh. There are places in our psyche which beauty can not reach. Only ugliness and shame will do for these places."
"By you definition isn't the painting of 'Mary and the Sinners' obscene?" Danny asked, "After all it's putting down a woman who actually lived."
"Non, by using the symbol of a saint for woman, Emil Nolde's painting draws us into feeling compassion for any woman or man who's flesh is being used in an ugly fashion. Women, men, children with their legs wide open, sex toys perhaps inserted, his painting reminds us however a person is used there is more than the physical to a person, there is the hidden spiritualness of a person which too many of us would rather not see. They prefer to be the gawkers, and the fun makers. Life is sometimes ugly art. I, myself, prefer to paint about this facet of life," Louis said with a maddeningly, refined smile. His smile hid the fit of being timid that he always suffered under when he felt he was being overly bold in his opinions.
He's such a complex being, Henri thought, All things in the world mixed together and shaken. One moment he is shyness, then complete confidence, other times he's all sternness, especially concerning his son: Josh-related issues. Then without warning his punitive frown can break out in the most boyish, humorous smiles.
"Louis, Daniel, let me congratulate you on another well done exhibit," Michael - an up-and-coming young lawyer with many interests, art being just one of them, said. heading for the four, "Pamela you will have my best review of the season on my zine. This is a marvelous exhibit."
Taking Louis' hand to shake, he said teasingly, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. You don't think anything is pornographic? What about you son Josh's newest photograph?"
"Michael how pleasant of you to drop by, and bring up that topic I prefer not to hear mentioned," Louis said through clinched teeth.
"I thought it was, I well, that's some photo of Pete! I mean his light brown hair brilliant in what ever light they used, waving about his ears and face while he was propped over Jason who was in his death bed sick with AIDS. The scandal of it all! The look of rapture on his face as he licks the forehead of the dying, young man's flesh. It was awe inspiring. And the tactful show of half of his nipple," Michael said with hearty, lustful appreciation for Josh's work, not to mention Josh's partner, Pete. The biggest tragedy of his life had been losing Pete to Josh the jock. He knew he had it coming losing Pete. Pete being yet still in high school was way too young for him. And eighteen year old Josh was every high school boy's dream of either being just like him, or getting to sleep with him. Still, Michael thought wistfully to himself `If only Pete could notice he deserves someone like me.'
"The nipple in question was purely an accident," Danny said crisply, seeing a blush of hot annoyance settle into Louis' cheeks. "They both assured me while the young man was dying he tore open Pete's shirt, and well, the photograph turned out so well, they decided to submit it to various magazines. "Attitude" a gay magazine, picked it up. Pete does photograph well, doesn't he? He has model's bones in his face."
Michael said smiling, having fond memorys of his friend, " I know Jason wanted it to be private. Josh was so good at shadowing and shading Jason's face no one could recognize the him, and he was also nude, so there was no tell tale clothing which could identify him to anyone who personally knew him."
"Josh also air brushed a tattoo he had on his shoulder. I felt it was a very beautiful composition of the transference of vitality and life to death. And of gentleness and the courage of compassion. I thought it to be very moving, and yes, a little disturbing," Danny offered.
"I was moved also. It stirred in me a kind of wonder," Michael mused dreamily.
"I'm sure you felt to be moved," Louis said sarcastically "I thought it to be a bit overboard, and I told them so in no uncertain terms. It was disrespectful to the poor, dying lad, tactless, intimate, too revealing."
"Josh and Pete both have explained to you over and over again the boy consented to the photograph. He wanted to be held. Yes, the nudity was probably not the best way of going about it, but it was his last wish to go out of the world as he came. His had plenty of well wishers, but his flesh was lonely. He wanted to be held in a loving embrace. Nothing sexual happened. The lavender lighting they used gave the photograph a stark white effect which put a halo around them. "
"Michael shrugged, "I know the significance of the subject matter and theme. Jason was a wonderful friend, but looking at the photograph, I forgot the person in it was Jason, he seemed too surreal to be someone I knew. All in all, it was the shot of the nipple which I liked the best about it."
The end
Sigh Nifty won't let me post voilent stories, e-mail me if you want to read Little Girl's Wake. Grumbles. Sitting on my Bret Easton Ellis American Psycho trying to hide it. I'm normal, really, not really. Ok, so he's my favorite author. And American Psycho is my favorite novel at the moment. So, if you want to read more about Louis and his partner Daniel try : http://blessed-be.org/stories/louisblue/louis_1.html first introduced to Josh's dad Louis Blue http://blessed-be.org/stories/god/god_1.html Louis meets Daniel and Josh is born http://blessed-be.org/stories/body/body_1.html Louis and daniel become a couple and adopt Josh, to see what Josh looks like go to http://unotime-eleni.net/drinkmythirst/kris-characters.htm
warning not only do these stories include group sex, love, family ties, and romance, and comedy, they include a little violence. Just a little. A tiny bit. Ok because body beautiful has a psycho in it. So be careful kids this is adult swim with sharks thrown in!