Monday, February 7, 2011

DC Superheroes In India Safe Sex Ads

Exhibiting now a Gallery Nature Morte in New Delhi, India ias Put It On, Again!, featuring the works of Jiten Thukral & Sumir Tagra. The duo's art deals explicitly with serious themes of safe sex and the transmission of HIV through a fairly playful prism of bright colors, traditional Indian imagery and figures from popular culture -- specifically, the superheroes of DC Comics, including Superman, Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman.

The DC heroes are deployed in Thukral & Tagra's oil paintings in an effort to prompt open and frank discussion about sex and the transmission of diseases among Indian youth, which, according to the exhibition's press release, the conservative Indian public will go to great lengths to avoid. It's not immediately clear what role Superman and company play within the works themselves, but artist remarks published by Indian Express suggest the Thukral & Tagra are making some big assumptions about Superman's safe-sex practices or misunderstanding the nature of superhero costumes.

"Superman is every girl's man. He wears latex and saves the world. He is a larger than life character and we have used him as a metaphor to promote safe sex," says Jiten Thukral.






http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/02/03/superman-safe-sex-campaign-india/

5 comments:

D.I. Felipe González said...

Amazing! I hope it helps fight aids.

Kal said...

Superheroes have an amazing effect on people. Like Luchadores. I need to find my mask but to buy it online might not fit me.

Sarah said...

It is a good message.

Not to detract from that, but Superman wears latex? I thought it was Spandex :P

Wouldn't the bad guys smell him a mile off he if did wear latex? Yuck!

Kal said...

But that is 'Kryptonian' sweat. He smells like lavander body scrub.

Nathan said...

I'll bet Superman smells even better than that Old Spice guy!