The text of the messages is presumably intended to personify the piece of clothing as an extension of the owner, concealing taboo desires within acceptable trappings of modern society. Like the rest of Udé’s exhibit, this series directly questions one’s sense of normality. Although the graphic descriptions in the ads may cause some viewers discomfort or occasion disapproval, these “special order” shirts and shoes still pose questions about the way one should perceive the world.

Udé manages to unnerve his audience through the graphic nature of this series. “Beyond Decorum” may not be the exhibit for everyone. It is highly pornographic and very open to interpretation by the audience. Whether you believe that Udé is a serious artist whose work merits praise for the risks it takes, or you see him as a sex-obsessed, club-hopping narcissist, “Beyond Decorum” is certainly an exhibit worth seeing. If nothing else, the next time your boss reprimands you for photocopying your rear end, you’ll have a precedent.

BEYOND DECORUM: Iké Udé

at Sert Gallery,

Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts

Through October 21, 2001