October 9, 2004
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I deplore censorship!
Okay, it’s ugly, its subjects are ugly, but that’s no reason to suppress it.
Artist Kayti Didriksen painted Man of Leisure, King George, which was on display at the City Museum.
It is painted in the style of Edouard Manet’s Olympia but Didriksen’s version shows a nude Bush on a chaise lounge.
Vice President Dick Cheney stands nearby, holding a cushion with a crown and a miniature oil rig on it.
The painting was part of a show called Funky Furniture that was set up in the museum last week.
But the show, including the Bush painting, was abruptly shut down after some of the artists’ themes were considered unsuitable.
Myra Peabody Gossens, a public relations consultant for the museum,
said the exhibit was not what had been expected.
“The museum is not an art museum,” she explained. “It gets mostly
groups of children, with teachers trying to tell them something about
history.”
Comments (9)
I understand, but if the museum mostly caters to children, then it’s not in the appropriate museum, no? Shouldn’t you display it somewhere where the people who see it will understand your message? You wouldn’t display this sort of thing IN a school, so why would you take schoolchildren to see it?
Basically, I’m saying that the artist will be able to display her work somewhere that’s more suitable. That’s not censorship. It’s only censorship if that were the ONLY museum displaying art, or if ALL museums decided not to display this painting.
bullshit
My mileage is this…..the following: “It gets mostly groups of children, with teachers trying to tell them something about history.”
I’d say that THIS is definitely a part of our history wouldn’t you? His private parts are not displayed, I could understand if some ppl were offended by *that* being shown to kids, HOWever……..if anyone, our young people are the ones who SHOULD be fucking seeing this. Because kids are not sheep at the younger ages and they WILL ask questions…. who has the answers? It’s a clear lesson for youth and an important one. If we do not know what we are doing or why, then THAT is a message for kids. Wear it!
Telling someone, anyone WHERE they can display their art is just the same as saying IF they can do it!
What are they afraid of? That the kids will ask questions and find out that their country elected an “idiot son” for a “leader?”
I’m going to print this off for my kids.
God help me but being Canadian, everything that happens in the US affects US. Unfortunately, we had some past “leaders” who put us squarely in the pockets of good ol’ Uncle Sam and it’s scary…..I’ve already posted that once today.
GAH!
as usual, all the censors have managed to do is to attract attention to something that would have otherwise been obscure … and i laughed out loud at that, too …
“FUCK CENSORSHIP.”
There, another precinct heard from.
Seriously, did you catch the story about the idiot principal near Anchorage who banned “To Kill a Mockingbird”? The kids wanted to put on the play, he forbade it.
I’m with him… FUCK CENSORSHIP.
I would let my son see that. If I thought for a second that he was old enough to understand anything about government, even the principle of government, I’d let him see it and explain it to him the best I could.
Is a painting funky furniture? I know many “fine artist” painters who would not consider their work furniture?
If indeed the content was not as expected, according to an exhibition director who presumably saw slides & statements, then I’d understand the need to shut down the exhibit. If the exhibition director was careless then he/she needs to find a new job. If the exhibition info was deceptive, then by all means, shut it down.
Museums have to operate as professionals and so do the curators who hawk their exhibition wares.
that painting is a drop in the proverbial bucket after my daughter and her classmates sat and watched and discussed the Clinton/Lewinsky hoo-hah when they were in 7th grade.
what…do the teachers there not want to explain to the kids what the insinuation of king george means? they had no problem explaining a blow job to them and, really…apples/oranges…a fruit’s a fruit.
censorship pffft.
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