So tonight’s topic is going to be about art and controversial artists. Seeing as how I feel it’s pretty obvious what controversial art means, let’s look at a few of these artists in order to gain a little perspective on why they might be considered “controversial” and let’s also look at their art with an aesthetic perspective. What makes their artwork art?
First I’m going to talk about Andres Serrano. I was introduced to his work by a friend who had unexpectedly come across his stuff online. He is most famous for his work Piss Christ, which is a photograph of a plastic crucifix submerged in a jar of Serrano’s urine.
Controversial indeed.
This was done in 1987, and caused a huge scandal in its time. To this day, it is still used as a basis for the argument of freedom of speech.
Serrano has done many other works of art aside from the above, including photographs of morgues, burn victims, the homeless, and the Klu Klux Klan. Gallery of Serrano’s Work.
The next work of art is a personal favorite of mine. Actually, it’s a series of photographs by a woman named Elizabeth Ohlson Wallin. It’s titled Ecce Homo and is essentially a series of photographs depicting Jesus as a homosexual, or in the company of others of the GLBTQ community.
The above is probably my favorite of the set, and you can view the rest of them right here.
The third and final artist of the night is going to be a photographer whom I greatly admire. Robert Mapplethorpe, probably best known for his homoerotic imagery and photos of S&M practices. My favorite photograph of his, however, is definitely the one of the incomparable Patti Smith, used on the cover of her album “Horses”. It’s beautiful, however it is not controverial, and thus we must move on. The below photograph is a self portrait of Mapplethorpe. More here.
So, after taking a look at these three artists, and hopefully glancing over the provided links to their galleries, we must take a step back and think about what we’ve just seen. What is it that makes this art so shocking? What is it that makes this art so interesting? And above all, what makes this art?
These are not answers that I, or anyone else (no matter how much they may tell you otherwise), can give you. This is for you to decide. You might look at those three photos and be disgusted. You may look at them with indifference or intrigue. There is no right or wrong answer here.
Personally, I think all three of these examples are wonderful. I think by exploring these “shocking” or “different” sides of life, we can find the true face of humanity. All three of these artists have been persecuted for their work. What these works do, most of all, is show that slightly darker side of life that is so often obscured. We need to become more accepting of the world around us. Assume that everything and anything is happening in it, no matter how crazy, perverted, blasphemous or even mundane.
Art is made to provoke us into thought, and if any of these works have done that for you, then I believe they have done their job.
