Sparring Over Art in Brooklyn
May 9th, 2006
Today there are editorials in both the New York Sun and the Daily News (scroll down to “Plan B From Outer Space) applauding the city for closing down an exhibition of artwork by Brooklyn College masters’ students containing some sexually explicit material. The exhibit at a war memorial at Cadman Plaza Park was shuttered last Thursday.
The Sun seems to think that such sexual material should not be encouraged by any institution that receives public funding, and even criticized Brooklyn College for agreeing to take the artwork back (the Sun doesn’t make clear what it would prefer to happen to it). Despite the deep offense that the newspaper takes to the art, its editorial actually provides a link to a particularly explicit painting featured in the exhibit — presumably so its readers can also be offended.
The Daily News criticizes the “mewling” of the “young artistes..Get used to not being the center of the universe, kids.”
A blog speaking for the student artists — called Plan C(ensored) — quickly popped up, and has been posting updates and statements regarding the situation. Its authors are angry that the work was taken down without the permission of the artists, and claim that some has been damaged in the process.
By Joshua Brustein on May 9, 2006, 4:13 pmIn category: Arts, Gotham City
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May 9th, 2006 at 9:23 pm
Joshua,
I have been told in an email from Marni Kotak of PlanCensored that the work by Carl James Ferror which the Sun so deplores and that they and you link to here was NOT featured in the show. He hung a different painting in the show.
Will
May 9th, 2006 at 9:24 pm
correction, sorry mistyped, going to fast, the artist’s name is Carl James Ferrero.
…and he is going to be famous. LOL!
May 11th, 2006 at 9:01 am
I don’t want to live in a City where this censorship is acceptable. It may be easy to hate on college artists, but it’s dead wrong. I mean, between this and the Giuliani-Last Supper situation, it’s getting harder and harder to believe that NYC is the place for artists.