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Art Censorship alive and well in Northwest Ohio
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by CGM | March 21, 2009 at 06:12 am
2976 views | 1 Recommendation | 6 comments
Article published March 21, 2009
BGSU Art exhibit closed in protest
Prof slams censorship
By TAHREE LANE
BLADE STAFF WRITER
HURON, Ohio — The Little Gallery at Bowling Green State University’s Firelands campus has been shuttered in a protest of censorship after one of 13 small sculptures was taken from its pedestal by a dean without the gallery director’s knowledge.
“We removed a sculpture that graphically depicts a female middle school student, on her knees, performing oral sex on a standing male middle school science teacher,” the university wrote in response to the flap. “As an institution of higher education, Bowling Green State University strongly supports the right of free speech and artistic expression. However, we also have a responsibility … to not expose the children and families we invite to our campus to inappropriate material.”
David Sapp, art professor at the campus in Huron and 15-year director of the gallery, was stunned when the piece by Pennsylvania artist James Parlin, valued at $6,000, was taken Wednesday and placed in a closet. That evening, Mr. Sapp put the remaining pieces from the exhibit in storage.
“Consider if this same scene was in a book and was required reading. If someone complained, should we rip out the passage because it’s not pleasant to read or talk about?” Mr. Sapp asked.
Mr. Parlin’s painted aluminum figures in the series, about 13 to 17 inches tall, are a cartoonish collection of “snapshots” from his life and that of family, friends, and acquaintances, among them Bobbie put a gun in her mouth and John put his head in the oven.
Mr. Parlin, an art professor at Edinboro University, has an undergraduate degree in religious thought and a master’s in fine art specializing in sculpture.
“Not understanding metaphor makes art a foreign language to the viewer,” he said, noting that the man in the piece entitled The Middle School Science Teacher Makes a Decision He’ll Live to Regret is based on the father of children his own children knew.
“I was … struck by how something could have such sway over a person, knowing that it would ruin his life [to commit the act] but would go ahead and do it anyway. Is there such a thing as a compulsion that overcomes freedom? To me, this is kind of the crux of our moral lives,” he said.
The series and its pieces have been exhibited in other venues without complaint, he said.
Contact Tahree Lane at:tlane@theblade.comor 419-724-6075.
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at 07:13 on March 21st, 2009
Thanks for your story - please use the highlight tool to quote from outside sources so that our readers know where the material is coming from.
Thanks.
at 09:42 on March 25th, 2009
It strikes me funny how this article is so 'anti' censorship, yet they dont include photos of the sculpture in question. Too many people use shock or vulgar images to simply cause an outrage and then they hide behind it as 'art'. I am not in any way pro-censorship, but this grown adult who has been to college, and has degrees and who seems reasonably intelligent should know that showing a sculpture of a girl giving oral sex to an adult will cause some people to question the reasoning behind displaying such an act. The title of his work does not justify his poor taste at trying to pass off something like this as art. These so called artists think they can always pull the 'well you dont understand art' and get away with this, but this isnt art...And should not be shown in public. This follows the same suit that pornography movies (who I am sure the people involved think they are 'artists') should not be shown in public. What you do behind doors is up to you, but dont put that type of subject matter on display for all to see. It really shows poor judgement. The word Art has been so beaten down to include every idiots scribbling on paper, that its almost lost its meaning. We need to reclaim the word and apply it accordingly...Not to every sad sculpture that comes along.
at 23:08 on March 27th, 2009
Amen to that!
at 12:48 on March 30th, 2009
I believe that Mr Parlin has achieved just what art is meant to do. It has brought us into a discussion about not just the work in question but where are we today with that "old" question: what is art? That question continues to be brought up when borders are pushed. Pushing those borders is what art is really about.
Sometimes the mirror placed infront of us, as a population, and what we see is ugly, other times it can be beautiful but...... both images are just as valad. Mr. Palin's work is "Art" and is valad even if it is uncomfortable.Censorship like this should NEVER happen.
Art C. Noir
Toledo Art Critic
at 16:01 on March 30th, 2009
Is it offensive? Sure is. Is it something that should be censored? No it isn't. It's deplorable, but dammit we can't just hide ideas and expressions that make us uncomfortable; because who gets to decide what qualifies as bannable? Anyone remember Ashcroft and the curtain silliness from 7 years back? Or the craziness of European newspapers not publishing cartoons that so inflamed the Islamic world? Expression is a guaranteed right so long as it doesn't lead to harm (fighting words and the like) Maybe its not art in the traditional sense, but when you start clamping down on ideas and frankly that's all this is (no real child was involved) you enter dangerous territory of repression.
at 09:56 on April 20th, 2009
Mr. Parlin showed at my university this past fall. I have seen the sculptures and there should be a picture showed here so that you can better understand them. The 2 figures are fully clothed, no skin is showing, the girl is on her knees in front of the man. The sculpture is far from vulgar. After hearing him speak about the work it is about the man's decision to do something when he fully knows the consequences.