Censoring the Art Nude Today
Conflict and Controversy in Displaying Nude Art
Michelangelo completed his controversial nude masterpiece, Statue of David, in 1504. Five hundred years later, society still views nude art – in all its naked glory – nervously, suppressing the urge to find a fig leaf or two.
When Is Art Obscene?
The problem with censoring art, photography or other forms of media is not so much its subject matter – as mankind has seen nude figures of all ages, genders, and races for hundreds of years – but its interpretation. The range of emotions engendered by nudes run from fascination to disgust, and the line between art appreciation and social acceptance blurs on close scrutiny. The question of whether something is ‘art’ often gets lost in the process of how it affects the viewer. Recent examples demonstrate the ambiguous nature of displaying the nude.
In Australia this year, the city of Tea Tree Gully banned a nude portrait and a sculpture from its annual art competition, one that had celebrated the art nude before. In Sydney, an exhibition of photographs by Bill Henson sparked objections from two key individuals; Hetty Johnston, who founded Bravehearts, Inc., a support group for protecting and supporting sexually abused children, and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who denounced the exhibit on a local radio station.
The complaints prompted Sydney police to confiscate the offending photos and arrest the artist on suspicion of child pornography. Authorities later dropped the charges, releasing the photos when it became clear that prosecution would prove difficult.
A similar reaction removed Rich Brimer’s self-portrait titled “Threshold” – an interpretation of Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” – from a Simi Valley building for one day before officials at the location recanted their decision to take it down.
Henson and Brimer are not alone in fighting public opinions about controversial subject matter. High-profile figures like Calvin Klein, whose 1995 fashion campaign drew opposition as pornographic, and Sally Mann, who included revealing images of her own children in her 1992 book, Immediate Family, have learned that censorship reaches its zenith when children are involved, regardless of the circumstances.
Morals and Values Regarding Nudes
These classical examples hint at censorship’s fundamental weakness. The decision to ban art relies heavily on public opinion – or rather the fear of it. This crutch of potential corruption and exploitation drives the urge to ban all things obscene. Criticism by an individual or group is often supplemented by a political, social, or moral agenda, as in the objections of Johnston and Rudd.
Using children as models for a sensual artistic theme is a calculated risk, but one must consider whether artists who employ nudes exploit their subjects or mar the psyche of their audience. Furthermore, the success rate of clearly defined laws and statutes regarding such objectionable material is slim. Analyzing one person’s work so closely brings notoriety to a lesser-known artist, surely the opposite of their censor’s intent.
Our innate desire to champion morality is as tantalizing as the effort to create art. When such efforts are tempered with the wisdom to reason – in our private minds – what is permissible or unacceptable to us, a delicate balance exists. Bad art has a short life span. Perhaps the best way for an ill-conceived work of art to fade from view is to turn away from its silent stare.
Michaelangelo's David, Florence
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Visual & Performing Arts
Latest Articles