Diamanda Galas Calls Street Artist Novy "An Opportunistic Infection"
In this week's SF Weekly cover story, "A Movement Defaced," our art critic Jonathan Curiel surveys the work and ambitions of queer street artist Novy and others in the SOMArts show "A History of Queer Street Art." (Novy curates the show.) ![]()
Curiel focuses on Novy's contention that too often accounts of the history of street art ignore the work of queer artists. Late in the piece, Curiel touches on controversies in Novy's personal life, most notably the bad blood between Novy and Jim Provenzano, the assistant arts editor of the Bay Area Reporter as well as an accomplished photographer and novelist.
Commenters on the online version of the story seem to have been inspired by that bad blood. One identifies herself as Diamanda Galas, the avant-garde composer and all-around force for cultural good. In an all-caps fury, this purported Galas calls Novy a "NO-TALENT INTESTINAL PARASITE," Curiel a "CRAP SCHOLAR LEGIONNAIRE OF OBSEQUY," and then barrels on from there for some 400 words. At one point, she brings Elton John into it.
(SF Weekly is waiting on confirmation from Galas that this comment truly comes from her.)
The comment in full is below. To see it on the original article, click here.
WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU NOVY NO TALENT INTESTINAL PARASITE, AND YOU, YOU CRAP SCHOLAR LEGIONNAIRE OF OBSEQUY, J CURIEL? DO YOU CONSIDER UGLY "NOBODY'S " PAPER DROPPINGS IN THE AGE OF PROTEASE INHIBITORS TO BE "ART?" HOW DARE YOU TARNISH THE NAMES OF THE KEITH HARING JIM PROVENZANO, BY CONTEXT, DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, AND ALL THE OTHER GREAT ARTISTS AND WRITERS WHO FOUGHT WHEN EVERYONE WAS_ DYING_, NOT "LIVING WITH THE DISEASE."HOW DARE YOU NOT DEFEND PROVENZANO WHO IS AND WAS A GOD TO EVERYONE
IN ACT UP, WHO DEFENDED THOSE WHO WERE BEATEN AND HOSPITALIZED
AND EXECUTED TO SERVICE THIS PERSON WHO IS _NOT_ AN ARTIST.
DO YOU CONSIDER ANYTHING COMMITTED TO PAPER TO BE ART? DO I FUCKING
CARE IF IT THIS TROLL'S PENIS. ICK.HEY CHECK IT OUT IDIOT. WOMEN ARE PART OF THE AIDS MOVEMENT TOO.
SO GEE IF MISSY DON'T LIKE THEM TITTIES SMEARED ALL OVUH THEM
TOTEM POLES, DON'T LOOK AT THEM. YOU DON'T LIKE SEEING TRANSSEX WITH MEN
NEITHER AM I RIGHT,LOW IQ?FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOU FOR WHAT THIS GREAT NEWSPAPER HAS NOW BECOME.
AND DON'T BE SO COY ABOUT STALKERS. I HAVE HAD ONE, LIKE HIM, FOR
A YEAR AND THESE PEOPLE DESTROY YOUR LIVES. YOU THINK IT IS FUNNY
DON'T YOU? YOU LIKE THE UNDERDOG? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HE IS A DOG.
AND YOU HAVE TO PICK UP HIS SHIT ON THE STREET THAT YOU NOW CALL
ART? WE WERE ARRESTED FOR PUTTING UP REAL ART IN THE STREETS
OF NYC WHEN IT WAS LIFE-SAVING AND THIS BITCH WHINES ABOUT WHAT?
UGLY MARILYN DRAWINGS, OH LAWD. FREEDOM OF LEECH.I AM SICK OF PEOPLE WHO ARE JEALOUS OF THOSE WHO HAVE BROKEN
THEIR ASSES FOR FREEDOM FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS. WHY DON'T YOU BE HONEST
AND GO ON AMERICAN IDOL, HALFWIT? AND SING YOUR SAD SONG. IT IS NOT
HERE IT IS NOT QUEER, IT IS JUST ELTON CRAWLING TO ANOTHER BLONDE GRAVE,
ASS UP IN THE AIR, BEGGING FOR ANOTHER DIME UP HIS SLOT.HERITAGE?
OH YEAH, TELL ME ABOUT IT, OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTION.
WERE YOU THERE WHEN HIV WAS A A DEATH SENTENCE WERE YOU THERE
WHEN HCV WAS A DEATH SENTENCE. WE WERE. WE SURVIVED-- SOME OF US.GET ON YOUR KNEES AND THANK JIM AND ALL THE REAL RADICALS
YOU SELF-PROMOTING FAIRY.DIAMANDA GALAS




























