Hmm, where to begin . . .

I suppose, on some deep layer of my consciousness, I never really doubted that Pigtails #1 would eventually fall victim to censorship.  While at the outset battling censorship was only one small part of what this blog was about, towards the end it became increasingly clear to me that I and my sweet little blog were at the very van of the front line of one of the weightiest and hard-fought battles of the Culture War: the right of artists to depict children in the nude or in erotic contexts, and in that respect we held a unique status on the internet.  Thus, it became one of our central missions.

With the addition of Ron as an editor to the blog, I had a kindred spirit who was at least as passionate as I was in giving those artists who had chosen to tread that difficult, controversial path not only further recognition and exposure (not that all of them needed it; artists like Jock Sturges and Sally Mann are practically household names, but they have both been through the fire and so deserve all of the fame and accolades that have come of it) but also a serious examination of what this art represents to a culture that is hell-bent on suppressing the rich and—until recently anyway—esteemed history of the nude child and adolescent in art.  Of course, as I point out on the ‘About This Site’ page, we only tackle one half of that history: the feminine half.

And, once again, that aspect is merely one facet of what this site is about, but given that it is an important one to us and was, alas, the reason we were zapped from the internet universe by the WordPress Death Star, it bears delving into at the outset of Pigtails #2.  The most important point here is that our readers may rest assured that we will not simply throw in the towel on that tradition just because we were burned once for doing so.  If anything, we must redouble our efforts, by which I do not mean we must increase our percentages of nudes, search out and post the most contentious of said images, or anything of that nature; I speak simply of focusing more intently on our goals and maintaining vigilance in the face of a large and willful opposition.  Yet . . . ex adversis bonus crescit, for the downfall of the old Pigtails has brought us to the higher ascent of the new.

Moreover, Pigtails the Elder did not perish in anonymity and abject poverty after all, for her youthful sirens drew Ron to her shores just in time, and he brought with him a veritable treasure of artist contacts (believe me when I tell you, among these are some of the biggest names in the art photography game—friendships which he has cultivated not for any gain for himself but simply for love of their work) which has enriched, and will continue to enrich, Pigtails and her readers.

As I reflect on the last two years, from the birth and infancy of the original Pigtails and all of the time, sweat and effort spent on her over the year and a half she was up, only to see all of that work deleted at the stroke of a key, I have to say that, even if I had known the Apocalypse was coming, and even if she was never to be seen or heard from again, I would not do a damn thing differently, and I am content that for her relatively short lifespan, Pigtails #1 made a massive difference.  I must wonder at the number of artists that, out of dread of making waves in these already chancy and tumultuous waters, and who have perhaps suppressed the urge to produce work in this vein, arrived at Pigtails in Paint and were inspired enough by its presence to follow their muse after all.  Maybe none.  Then again, maybe there were many.  I do know that, just prior to her abrupt end, Pigtails had come very close to her one millionth hit, not bad for a funky little art blog that focused on a very narrow subject: the young girl.

And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce the reincarnated, renovated and reinvigorated Pigtails in Paint . . .