WEEK 7: CONTROVERSIAL ART
1212 unread replies.9090 replies.
Last week, you read about Impressionism as breaking dramatic grounds in visual arts
(Chapter 13: The Working Class and the Bourgeoisie). So did a form of altered realism--
consider Courbet and Manet. From the mid-1800s on, audiences began to be surprised,
challenged, intrigued, offended, and/or insulted by "Modern Art." This period dates from
roughly 1880-1950 as to painting, but the daring sensibility preceded it a generation.
This week, discuss the role of controversy in modern art from Chapter 14: The
Modernist World as well as sources and examples of artifacts chosen from any period
from ~1850 up to ~1960. This is the birth and flourishing of "Modernism."
Choose any controversial artifact between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries~
1850-1950. Look into statements by the creator, the buyer, the press, the museum, the
media, the patrons, the authorities, the rulers, the critics, and/or (!) the public. Tell
us why your choice is or was controversial. Compare the era it was created in to
ours today. Is the artifact still controversial? Why or why not? (Be sure to label, date,
title and show it.)
You will have to investigate to find contexts and statements. Be sure to give proper
credit and emphasize your own words, as I want to learn your interpretation. (For
support, copy and paste or upload and embed the visible artwork so we can see it in
your post. As before, pick different artifacts so we have no duplication of choices.)
https://www3.nd.edu/~amcadams/PolS486/Democracy/freespeech.html
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,Collapse SubdiscussionJohn Murphy
JOHN MURPHY
Apr 18, 2019Apr 18 at 5:18pm
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Balthus "Therese Dreaming" (1938)
Balthasar Klossowski de Rola (1908-2001) created controversy over a long French
career. ''I really don't understand why people see the paintings of girls as Lolitas,'' he
told the New York Times in 1996. ''My little model is absolutely untouchable to me."
His paintings were exhibited with a warning label at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in 2013. (I viewed them in Rome 2015 but cannot recall any "trigger warning.") This
Italian article about his unsettling style cites Balthus, who "never grew tired of
repeating that malice lies only in the eyes of the beholder. Because adolescents are
still pure, even if for a short time, and with their unaffectedness they reveal the
adults' inhibitions." A European response reflecting that more permissive culture?
For one American reaction:
, In Nov. 2017, after viewing this, 30-year-old Mia Merrill tweeted: "a petition asking
the Met to take down a piece of art that is undeniably romanticizing the sexualization
of a child. If you are a part of the #MeToo movement or ever think about the
implications of art on life, please support this effort." Over 10,000 agreed with this
feminist NYU art grad immediately, but the Met refused to remove the painting. It will
provide context, beyond the artist's name and date, "about the artist's orientation and
approach" alongside the name of the model and her age (Therese Blanchard, then
about 12). Some critics say the viewer projects his or her own "notions of sexual
deviance" onto Balthus' images. Others insist that the artist was fully complicit,
although no evidence of his sexual contact (let alone any misbehavior) ever existed.
Edited by John Murphy on Jun 8 at 1:26pm
o
Neil Martin
NEIL MARTIN
Jun 17, 2019Jun 17 at 3:31pm
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Very Interesting post. I'm sure this painting will stand the test of time for it's
controversial state. It is funny though because I never once noticed that this may be
an adolescent child until I read the post. Even then, I had to study it a little bit to
agree with the conclusion. It helps validate the critics that say the viewer projects
his or her own "notions of sexual deviance" as you stated in your post. At first
glance i just thought it was a working-class (diner or such) woman.
The Met is private owned? Are museums Private owned?
Hmm..anyways, how about all of the public statues being hauled away? On June 12
1936 Dallas installed a statue of General E. Lee that President Franklin Roosevelt
unveiled himself (Steven Butler, 2011). City Council voted and had it removed in
late 2017. Here is a picture (Macon, 2017) of it being hauled off:
, The city finally decided what to do with this statue last week and auctioned it off to a
private individual. They started public bid at $400,000 (the cost of having it removed)
and it sold for 1.5 Million dollars. This just happened last week, and has been every
where, so nothing specific to cite. Maybe from Dave and Amy KLIF 570 AM Radio.
REFERENCES
Macon, A. (2017, December). The Real Meaning of the Robert E. Lee
Statue. Retrieved from www.dmagazine.com:
https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2017/december/robert-e-lee-
statue-oak-lawn-art/
Steven Butler, P. (2011, January 3). Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved from
watermelon-kid.com: http://www.watermelon-
kid.com/history/dallas/landmarks/landmarks-lee.htm
Edited by Neil Martin on Jun 17 at 3:52pm
1212 unread replies.9090 replies.
Last week, you read about Impressionism as breaking dramatic grounds in visual arts
(Chapter 13: The Working Class and the Bourgeoisie). So did a form of altered realism--
consider Courbet and Manet. From the mid-1800s on, audiences began to be surprised,
challenged, intrigued, offended, and/or insulted by "Modern Art." This period dates from
roughly 1880-1950 as to painting, but the daring sensibility preceded it a generation.
This week, discuss the role of controversy in modern art from Chapter 14: The
Modernist World as well as sources and examples of artifacts chosen from any period
from ~1850 up to ~1960. This is the birth and flourishing of "Modernism."
Choose any controversial artifact between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries~
1850-1950. Look into statements by the creator, the buyer, the press, the museum, the
media, the patrons, the authorities, the rulers, the critics, and/or (!) the public. Tell
us why your choice is or was controversial. Compare the era it was created in to
ours today. Is the artifact still controversial? Why or why not? (Be sure to label, date,
title and show it.)
You will have to investigate to find contexts and statements. Be sure to give proper
credit and emphasize your own words, as I want to learn your interpretation. (For
support, copy and paste or upload and embed the visible artwork so we can see it in
your post. As before, pick different artifacts so we have no duplication of choices.)
https://www3.nd.edu/~amcadams/PolS486/Democracy/freespeech.html
This topic was locked Jun 23 at 11:59pm.
View Instructor posts View My Posts Search entries or author Filter replies by unread
Unread Collapse replies Expand replies
Subscribed
,Collapse SubdiscussionJohn Murphy
JOHN MURPHY
Apr 18, 2019Apr 18 at 5:18pm
Manage Discussion Entry
Balthus "Therese Dreaming" (1938)
Balthasar Klossowski de Rola (1908-2001) created controversy over a long French
career. ''I really don't understand why people see the paintings of girls as Lolitas,'' he
told the New York Times in 1996. ''My little model is absolutely untouchable to me."
His paintings were exhibited with a warning label at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in 2013. (I viewed them in Rome 2015 but cannot recall any "trigger warning.") This
Italian article about his unsettling style cites Balthus, who "never grew tired of
repeating that malice lies only in the eyes of the beholder. Because adolescents are
still pure, even if for a short time, and with their unaffectedness they reveal the
adults' inhibitions." A European response reflecting that more permissive culture?
For one American reaction:
, In Nov. 2017, after viewing this, 30-year-old Mia Merrill tweeted: "a petition asking
the Met to take down a piece of art that is undeniably romanticizing the sexualization
of a child. If you are a part of the #MeToo movement or ever think about the
implications of art on life, please support this effort." Over 10,000 agreed with this
feminist NYU art grad immediately, but the Met refused to remove the painting. It will
provide context, beyond the artist's name and date, "about the artist's orientation and
approach" alongside the name of the model and her age (Therese Blanchard, then
about 12). Some critics say the viewer projects his or her own "notions of sexual
deviance" onto Balthus' images. Others insist that the artist was fully complicit,
although no evidence of his sexual contact (let alone any misbehavior) ever existed.
Edited by John Murphy on Jun 8 at 1:26pm
o
Neil Martin
NEIL MARTIN
Jun 17, 2019Jun 17 at 3:31pm
Manage Discussion Entry
Very Interesting post. I'm sure this painting will stand the test of time for it's
controversial state. It is funny though because I never once noticed that this may be
an adolescent child until I read the post. Even then, I had to study it a little bit to
agree with the conclusion. It helps validate the critics that say the viewer projects
his or her own "notions of sexual deviance" as you stated in your post. At first
glance i just thought it was a working-class (diner or such) woman.
The Met is private owned? Are museums Private owned?
Hmm..anyways, how about all of the public statues being hauled away? On June 12
1936 Dallas installed a statue of General E. Lee that President Franklin Roosevelt
unveiled himself (Steven Butler, 2011). City Council voted and had it removed in
late 2017. Here is a picture (Macon, 2017) of it being hauled off:
, The city finally decided what to do with this statue last week and auctioned it off to a
private individual. They started public bid at $400,000 (the cost of having it removed)
and it sold for 1.5 Million dollars. This just happened last week, and has been every
where, so nothing specific to cite. Maybe from Dave and Amy KLIF 570 AM Radio.
REFERENCES
Macon, A. (2017, December). The Real Meaning of the Robert E. Lee
Statue. Retrieved from www.dmagazine.com:
https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2017/december/robert-e-lee-
statue-oak-lawn-art/
Steven Butler, P. (2011, January 3). Robert E. Lee Memorial. Retrieved from
watermelon-kid.com: http://www.watermelon-
kid.com/history/dallas/landmarks/landmarks-lee.htm
Edited by Neil Martin on Jun 17 at 3:52pm
