2008 Woodie Awards
editorial
Removal of provocative photograph sets dangerous precedent
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: Opinions
The decision to remove one of Aaron Gensler's '08 photographs from her exhibit in The Center Gallery last week raises important questions about the role of public art on campus - and the role that College administrators should play in dictating the content of this art. In removing a photograph deemed too upsetting for display in the uniquely public gallery space, both the curator of the exhibit and the administrators who pushed for this removal have set a dangerous precedent for a student's ability to present challenging, startling and even provocative art on campus.
Gensler's photographs were originally taken after last spring's tragic shooting at Virginia Tech left 33 dead. While originally intended to incite discussion and mark the one-year anniversary of these shootings, the exhibit took on added, coincidental weight after a gunman at Northern Illinois University opened fire on campus and left 22 people killed or wounded on Feb. 14. In our own corner of the country, the uncertainty and concern about the disappearance of first-year Nicholas Garza that still grips the College descended on the community concurrently with the installation of the photographs.
Gensler's exhibit, however, seems to have been intended not to inflame understandably tender feelings stemming from this violence and uncertainty but rather to encourage open and thoughtful dialogue. The photographs of students holding a toy gun are undeniably uncomfortable, but Gensler's photographs challenge visitors to the gallery to think critically about the American relationship to the gun, the role of gun violence on college campuses and the breadth of images and messages about firearms that Americans encounter every day.
As extended conversation about the infamous "tire art" last fall proved, art in public places does - and indeed should - incite discussion. (One could quip, of course, that many pieces of art on campus make members of the community "uncomfortable" - the tire art and the sprawling "Smog" sculpture leaping to mind as examples of artwork oft belittled by students.) In some cases, the discussion is lighthearted, or purely aesthetic. In others, such as Gensler's, the debate over art stems from deeply rooted discomfort with theme. Both are valuable, necessary and enriching.
Gensler's photographs were originally taken after last spring's tragic shooting at Virginia Tech left 33 dead. While originally intended to incite discussion and mark the one-year anniversary of these shootings, the exhibit took on added, coincidental weight after a gunman at Northern Illinois University opened fire on campus and left 22 people killed or wounded on Feb. 14. In our own corner of the country, the uncertainty and concern about the disappearance of first-year Nicholas Garza that still grips the College descended on the community concurrently with the installation of the photographs.
Gensler's exhibit, however, seems to have been intended not to inflame understandably tender feelings stemming from this violence and uncertainty but rather to encourage open and thoughtful dialogue. The photographs of students holding a toy gun are undeniably uncomfortable, but Gensler's photographs challenge visitors to the gallery to think critically about the American relationship to the gun, the role of gun violence on college campuses and the breadth of images and messages about firearms that Americans encounter every day.
As extended conversation about the infamous "tire art" last fall proved, art in public places does - and indeed should - incite discussion. (One could quip, of course, that many pieces of art on campus make members of the community "uncomfortable" - the tire art and the sprawling "Smog" sculpture leaping to mind as examples of artwork oft belittled by students.) In some cases, the discussion is lighthearted, or purely aesthetic. In others, such as Gensler's, the debate over art stems from deeply rooted discomfort with theme. Both are valuable, necessary and enriching.
Be the first to comment on this story