Dirty Show Excites The Region

, an erotic circus complete with beautiful and bizarre art, opened last Friday under the big top of Bert’s Warehouse in Eastern Market. Dancers swayed from poles, acrobatic artists twisted in the air from ropes and burlesque performers danced on stage.

This was the fifth year the Dirty Show has called Bert’s Warehouse home. Bert Dearing, owner of the warehouse, said his favorite part of the show is seeing people in his building.

“You can’t beat the Dirty Show,” he said. “It’s a show within a show. You get to enjoy the art, the performances and the people.”

A mime entertained the crowd on the floor while caged dancers performed above them. A kilted man tied up a woman in a rope bondage demonstration behind the bar.

Rick Manore, founder of CPOP Gallery in Detroit, said he thinks the Dirty Show is the biggest art and social event in Detroit.

“The art has gotten consistently better,” he said. “The performance art really took a big jump this year.”

Guests filled the venue to view erotic art from both local and international artists. The walls were lined with photos, paintings and mixed media displays. 

Wyandotte artists Paul Balog and Jeremy E. Hansen displayed pieces in this year’s Dirty Show.

Balog displayed a sign he created from foam, wood and homasote entitled “Eat Me.” He said his favorite parts of the show are people watching and meeting other artists.

“It’s international,” he said. “It keeps getting better every year.”

Hansen has attended the Dirty Show for five years, but experienced his first Dirty Show as an artist this year. His piece, “Touch,” is mixed media on a found door.

“It’s really cool to have this many people see my work,” he said. “I like meeting the other artists and seeing the art rare.”

Jerry Vile, producer of the Dirty Show, said after the first Dirty Show, he would never imagined it would grow into what it is today. Vile said there almost wasn’t a second Dirty Show because he has never been a repetitive person. While some critics call the Dirty Show porn, Vile insists the emphasis has always been about art.

“I’ve been to a lot of erotic art shows, and it’s nothing but silicone on the walls,” he said. “We’ve always been more about the art than the erotic.”

The Dirty Show only accepts two out of every 10 submissions, and Vile finds it challenging to turn artists away.

“I hate to tell artists they’re (expletive) because they might not always be,” he said. “You should encourage artists.”

The Society for Women in Erotic Art Today unveiled a collection of 57 pieces from 30 artists across the United States. S.W.E.A.T. was founded in July by Detroit-native Lisolette Gilcrest to leverage the artistic talent of women artists in erotica. S.W.E.A.T. wants to promote erotic art as a legitimate art form and to encourage women as erotic art producers. The Dirty Show was their debut.

Vile said the Dirty Show has always had a strong presence of female artists, but the addition of the S.W.E.A.T. collection brings the ratio of male and female artists closer to equal.

“For a species that’s pretty close to 50/50, erotic art has never been that 50/50,” she said. “S.W.E.A.T. fixes that.”

Gilcrest said she was thrilled S.W.E.A.T. debuted at the Dirty Show.

“The entire show has a great collection,” he said. “It keeps getting better and better every year.”   

Live art captured the crowd’s attention throughout the night. Dancers, models and actors performed throughout several live stages. Evgenia Stiop, a model and dancer at the show performed for her fifth year. Stiop designs and makes her own costumes for the show. She said the Dirty Show gives people an opportunity to bring out a side of themselves that their usual 9-5 day doesn’t bring out.

“That’s why people come out,” she said. “People in this area are bored and broke as hell.”

Johnny “Bee” Badanjek, a legendary drummer from Detroit, displayed a painting titled “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” Badanjek was a drummer with Mitch Ryder in the 1960’s and currently plays with the Rockets and Howling Diablos. He now identifies himself as an artist and a drummer on the side. Badanjek plays guitar, drums and writes songs, but says his true love is painting.

“I’m obsessed,” he said. “It’s something I have to do. I don’t know where it comes from.”

Badanjek also has art on display at in Wyandotte. He said Wyandotte is a great town with nice restaurants and bars.

“People should come visit," he said.

Badanjek used live models for inspiration and bold colors to create “The Garden of Earthly Delights." This is the 11th year he has participated in the Dirty Show and said he loves it.

“It is one of the greatest shows in the country of erotic art,” he said. “It has some really incredible artists. It’s amazing to see.”

The Dirty Show has visited Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami. Vile said he hopes the Dirty Show continues to reach across the country.

“I think every city in the U.S. will have a dirty show, and I hope it’s the Dirty Show," he said.

It’s not too late to see it for yourself. The Dirty Show is open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are available online or through River’s Edge Gallery.