The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Crucified on the cross of political correctness > Comments

Crucified on the cross of political correctness : Comments

By Ross Buncle, published 4/6/2008

Should we let the nanny state stomp on our right to assess controversial works, and undermine our cherished democratic values in the guise of protecting them?

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. All
This article is very brave, and probably the most accurate responses I have seen on this great issue to date. YES I say great issue. As an artist that focuses into erotica and sexuality, - www.myerotictouch.com confronts most of its viewers - so, of course I am happy that the police raided Hensons show. Needless to say, I am also undermined by the common grounds censorship of the art, and at the same time not surprised, by the backward and closed mindedness of the Australian authorities. - if you are fearful of it, hide it away, wipe it out, or pacify it - hasn't this been our cultural stance since the initial invasion of this country anyway? what is the difference now? Nothing really, only the fact that we can now intellectually discuss the events, and possibly stand against it??
Posted by dkiss, Wednesday, 4 June 2008 9:50:25 AM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
This is now the seventh thread on this subject on OLO. So I had no expectations of the article containing anything new. But it does. It presents a very interesting multifaceted perspective. Good one Ross.
Posted by Ludwig, Wednesday, 4 June 2008 11:37:24 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Yes yet another article on this same subject. The debate on Henson's work is nothing to do with political correctness in my view. It would be if 'cultural elites' (as described in another OLO article) were arguing that naked pictures of children in sexual poses is okay in the intersts of art. That would be political correctness. Rudd was in fact going against the artistic tide.

If we were talking about pictures of nude adults these articles shouting out 'censorhsip', 'big brother', 'nanny states' and the like would have some merit, but we are talking about children. Big difference.

Is there to be no line at all for artists? Do artists expect to live under a different set of rules than the rest of us? Is there any situation where sexualisation of children is okay
Posted by pelican, Wednesday, 4 June 2008 12:48:33 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Hensons work is art and it should be dealt with accordingly. It is being exhibited in an art gallery, dealing with artistic and poetic imagery. It is a far cry from pornography. Art is still the cognition of life, a deeper penetration and understanding into life. A different way of understanding the world in perpetual change.

Judy Annear of the Art Gallery of New South Wales Annear (AGNSW), who was curator of Henson’s 30-year retrospective at the AGNSW in 2004-05, said the censorship was “appalling”. She repudiated the allegations of child pornography.
“I’ve known Bill’s work for 30 years and we’ve been collecting his work since the early 1980s,” she said. “We mounted a major retrospective in late 2004 and 65,000 people saw it here in Sydney and there were no complaints. We produced a book for show and it sold out—probably about 4,000 copies—and again there were no complaints. It then went to Melbourne and broke all records for a major solo show.” Asked about what had produced the hysterical attack on Henson, she replied: “You have to look at the broader social arena." http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/jun2008/bhen-j03.shtml
Rudd and the Labor leadership have seized on the Henson issue as a diversion from mounting social tensions resulting from the rapid rise in the cost of living and growing hostility—just six months after its election—to the Labor government. Like the Howard government before it, Rudd Labor is trying to develop a political constituency among the extreme right, Christian fundamentalists and other disoriented layers to use as a means of intimidating and suppressing critical thought, as it ramps up its assault on the social conditions of the working class.
Much of the language and the lies being used by Rudd and his cohorts is chillingly reminiscent of the language and anti-democratic measures that led to the Nazi book burnings and the Nazis’ characterisation of virtually all modernist art as Entartete Kunst or Degenerate Art. These attacks are part of a right wing political agenda that seeks to debase and degrade society including demeaning all the the Arts and twenty years of cuts to funding.
Posted by johncee1945, Wednesday, 4 June 2008 1:51:20 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Those who support Henson,would you also defend the free publication of all forms of pornography on the grounds of freedom of expression ?What if some porn indeed has artistic merit,as do Henson's pictures,admittedly, not that Im saying that his work is pornographic?
I dont hear accusations of political repression and that the government intends to begin witch-hunting and burning books over that one single issue.I'm simply pointing to the childish over-simplification that you guys are dishing up by way of serious debate.
Wish you'd be consistent.

socratease
Posted by socratease, Wednesday, 4 June 2008 2:16:22 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
ART and the changing of culture.

Philosophy is usually translated into "Art" some of which in turn is the shock troop unit against culture. Once we have seen it all and done it all, what next? Art explores 'new things'..but does it do so with a moral conscience and compass?

Philosopher-->Artist--->The Public (breaks down resistance to new ideas)

Commercial interests weigh up the acceptance of these new ideas and try to get their merchandise 'just right' on the line between 'ok' and 'risque' .. sex always sells they tell us.. and I'm sure this applies to art as well as cars.

BUT THEN.. we reach a status quo.. 'borrrrrrring'.. so some bright spark artist thinks "I'll challenge some barriers and boundaries"

Adventurous movie makers go down the dirt track ..of course its not about 'money' but 'artistic freedom'...

Then our impressionable youth are exposed to the new normality and the cycle begins again. "Another step downward"

We do need a Savior, the crucifixion which will bring us home has already been done. The cross has done its work. The rest is up to us.
Posted by BOAZ_David, Wednesday, 4 June 2008 4:56:53 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy