Augusto Marin's notorious provocation
This is just one of five sculptures by Augusto Marin which is included in the Brooklyn College MFA thesis show shut down three weeks ago by the Brooklyn Parks Commissioner. This self-appointed guardian of New York's public morals was outraged by the small image of a hand holding a penis and declared it not appropriate for families.
The show has finally been re-assembled elsewhere by the artists, and last night visitors at the opening reception, including members of families representing all ages and genders, were clearly at a loss at locating any provocation in a beautiful piece of molded resin lighted behind a beautiful stretched blue scrim. The work is one of four mixed media pieces in which the artist gently references traditional devotional objects both sacred and profane.
The damage done to much of the work when it was carted out of the War Memorial gallery was clearly evident however even in Marin's own piece, which had suffered a tear when it was pulled from the wall. More here later about other, more serious damage and about some works in the current show which specifically address New York City government censorship and its destructive handmaiden Brooklyn College. We're hosting Barry's Mother this week so posting will have to be minimal for the next few days.
Oh, and as for all those editorials and letters referring to these graduate students as spoiled "kids", maybe some people should do some fact checking. I know that several artists within this MFA group are old enough to have college-age kids themselves, and last night I spoke to one of them who had been absolutely shocked to hear the school's own lawyer describe her class as "young kids". Susan C. Dessel let the attorney know she herself was 60.
Wow.. So I can see why the city shut it down!!
That might actually be a threat to national security, well just about as much of a threat as all those gay married people..
There goes our family values!
David Rhodes, president of the School of Visual Arts, delivered an address about the situation with the Brooklyn College MFA show at the 31st commencement of the School of Visual Arts at Radio City Music Hall on May 10, 2006. (Read the full speech here) His public statement has been a fresh breeze in the fetid New York art scene. None of the professional artists, gallery directors or magazine publishers who have been contacted have even privately come out in support of the students. The climate of caution, or fear, is alternately saddening and infuriating.
The fascist movement has taken root in America and has become mainlined. Economic fascism has been in vogue since the eighties, and ideological fascism in just the last few years of Dubya's misadministration.We are also seeing sanctioned vigilante violence against disapproved of minority groups. We are not very far away from required armbands. I hope our society comes to it's senses before we go too far.