Norm Magnusson, Glasses, 2020, Archival computer prints on acid free paper, cut into strips, woven together, and mounted on acid free foam core, 44” × 44”

About the Exhibition

From a young age, boys are more or less taught by society to look at “dirty pictures” when they masturbate. It’s not a new phenomenon (pornographic images go back at least 4,000 years) but it has really taken off with the internet, where porn sites get more visitors each month than Netflix, Twitter and Amazon combined!! I’ve created a body of art that deals with porn obsession; drawing images from classic Playboys and from Pornhub (the internet’s most popular porn site), I have woven these images together to create new images that speak of obsession and exploitation and gender roles and the preponderance of porn in our lives today.

For this exhibition at 11 Jane St. Art Center, my visual artworks will be accompanied by a new monologue (with words and images) touching on three main topics: 1) the history of porn, 2) my history with porn and 3) a brief history of weaving as part of the answer to the question: “why weaving?”, which my son asked of me when I was working on these pieces.

Norm Magnusson, Miss August/Miss November, 2020, ​​Playboy centerfolds, cut into strips and woven together, 23” x 11”

Norm Magnusson, Miss June/Miss October, 2020, ​​Playboy centerfolds, cut into strips and woven together, 23” x 11”

Norm Magnusson, Trans woman/trans man, 2021, Archival computer prints on photo paper, cut into strips and woven together, mounted on acid free foam core, 15” x 12”

Norm Magnusson, Norm and Jessica, 2021, ink pen on Playboy centerfolds, mounted on acid free foam core, 30” × 30”

Norm Magnusson, Bathe, 2021, two pages from vintage Playboy magazines, top one with eyes and mouth cut out, 15” x 12”

Norm Magnusson, Tasting a Candy Cane, 2021, two pages from vintage Playboy magazines, top one with eyes and mouth cut out, 15” x 12”

Norm Magnusson, J&B, 2021, front and back covers from Penthouse magazine, cut into strips and woven together, 15” x 12”

Norm Magnusson, Nuns, 2020, archival computer prints on acid free paper, cut into strips, woven together, and mounted on acid free foam core, 66″ × 44″

About the Artist

I’ve received a NYFA Fellowship (2014-2015) for sculpture, Pollock-Krasner Foundation grants for sculpture (2016-2017) and for painting (1998-1999), and a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council grant (2008-2009) and a NYSCA grant (through the Center for Sustainable Rural Communities – 2014), both for public art installation. In 2017, I was awarded the “Best Art in Public Places” award from the Ulster County Executive and Arts Mid-Hudson.