ARTWORK depicting sex, violence, nudity and drug use could be removed from Melbourne council-funded galleries under tough new regulations.
Artists will face strict censorship on what can be displayed under a shake-up of Melbourne City Council’s art protocols.
Curators and gallery owners will also be expected to alert council to potentially controversial pieces ahead of schedule. Questionable work would go to a council review panel before going on public display.
This is a big deal for melbourne based artists. Under the excuse of the Henson witch trial, censorship has become more and more apparent in this previously artist friendly city. these regulations are the latest step in an attempt to try and enforce censorship and restrictions to one of the last bastions of freedom of expression. artists will be screened for acceptability before exhibiting in any government sponsored gallery or art space. our art will be policed and our work will have to fit into a socially comfortable mould. after all, why challenge people? why confront them and make them think? what can possibly be gained from stepping outside of a pre established, government sanctioned comfort zone?
Well, there goes Christ on a Cross, right? Nothing depicting the Holocaust, Greeks on warhorses, crime in the street. No pic of that girl cradling her friend’s head at Kent State or the Vietnames girl running in the street. Lose the guy standing up to the tanks in China. Of course not, that’s not art. And no “Falling”, looks sexy or violent or something to me. Muppets only. Wonderful. Steve http://www.allnudist.wordpress.com