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TIMEOUT NewYork
Issue 503: May 19–25, 2005

Photo: Astrid Stawiarz

 

Get pinned

SVA artist is pushing his buttons— and yours

 

Looking for a way to break the ice at parties? Try wearing a button that says HONEY, TONIGHT I WILL FUCK YOU AS SOMEBODY WHO LOVES JESUS. That sentiment is one of the more than 1,200 such edicts artist Uudam Nguyen has stamped on badges he calls "fuck buttons." Nguyen, who came up with the concept as part of his MFA show at the School of Visual Art, originally made some 700 buttons —and wound up giving away 600 of them. This got him thinking big: "I decided to take it another step," he explains, "and sell them in stores."
To date, Nguyen's buttons, which cost $7 each, are available in only one shop—in London. He's having a hard time placing them here—even in boutiques that already sell items with the word fuck on them. (The buyer at Reminiscence in Chelsea said they were looking for more "family-oriented" merchandise.) Undeterred, Nguyen says he expects adult bookstores to be more receptive. In the meantime, you can order them by going to his website at www.uudam.net and clicking on STORE.
Nguyen says he gets ideas for his pins from reading the papers, which explains why the phrases often sound political. One button promises, HONEY, TONIGHT I WILL FUCK YOU AS TEH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. "It's all about the fantasy," he says. "It mixes politics and identity. When you use the word fuck, it has so many different connotations. Love—and hate. That's what's so wonderful about it." In the future, Nguyen says, count on T-shirts, ties, tote bags and even shower curtains. "I have a long list."—HH

 

 

 

To view the article on Time Out NY website:
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/DetailsAr.do?file=/outthere/503/503.getpinned.html

To view the scanned image of the article, click here

 

 

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