By Katie Despeaux
Photography Editor
Controversial art has planted itself nicely on the Washington College campus, thanks to the new art exhibit at Kohl Gallery. The scandalous nature of the show (did your mind immediately go to that video?) brings to light a serious question: should we, even as adults, be exposed to such pieces of art?
Whether it takes the form of sex, violence, astute political commentary, or graphic depictions of anything, this kind of art form surrounds us everyday. That Banksy poster you have in your room? Yeah, that offended someone at some point. So did that Marcel Duchamp urinal sculpture that your professor talked about for hours in your Intro to Western Art course. But other types can draw gasps and shock from even the most fearless of us, such as images of religion, abortion, and genocide. But they serve an important purpose. Understanding reality is necessary; we shouldn’t live in rose-tinted world where we are ignorant of important events occurring around us. It may make us uncomfortable watching a woman masturbate, but these pieces force us to consider different perspectives.
Respecting other people’s opinions and beliefs is a core factor to our modern society. Taking this into account, it would make sense to say that we shouldn’t encourage art that mocks or misrepresents a religion or country. Sometimes, restrictions are necessary when protecting individuals from discrimination. Misrepresenting someone’s beliefs or experiences can harm those individuals and create lasting damage, especially following a traumatic experience. Exposing children to graphic scenes of violence or sex before they’re mature enough to understand them too, can skew how they approach and explore the world, potentially causing damage.
Controversial art, however, is necessary for society to grow and open its mind. When it’s censored and restricted until it’s unrecognizable, we should be concerned, as it usually leads to the further censoring of our lives. Banksy’s piece depicting two male British police officers kissing or the Leslie Friedman video of the woman masturbating in the Kohl Gallery shouldn’t be controversial because if it is, then society is condemning the sexuality of those individuals. If you haven’t lived under a rock for the past six months, you can see the exact same situation and effects of this censorship in Russia. Depicting reality accurately, even if it is controversial, can lead to heightened awareness of pressing issues. When children see the dramatic and destructive effects of eating disorders and smoking through controversial art campaign posters, this can serve as a deterrent and stop the adoption of bad habits.
Having exhibits like artNOW in Kohl Gallery helps us open our minds to experiences we may not have otherwise considered every day. Generating conversation is what controversial art does best. Living in a world where there is no access to Banksy and Duchamp and graffiti stifles our development and understanding of others and their cultures. When controversial art is seen as unnecessary or uncomfortable, it usually comes from fear, but we must consider those issues in a different way. Controversial art has helped create art revolutions and in some cases, political revolutions. It has helped induce change in societies and cultures that previously limited development in some way. Controversial art is necessary for conversation and change.
So thank you, Marcel Duchamp, for your urinal masterpiece and the revolution it helped ignite.