Nudity is a part of Art – MF Husain Exonerated

Shri Parvati by MF Husain ” The allegations made against the painter are baseless and it would not be proper to hold that he had a deliberate intention to manifestly insult Bharat Mata,” Justice Kaul said after reasoning that nudity is part of contemporary art. Husain’s nude paintings of Bharat Mata, as well as those of other Hindu gods and goddesses had created a furore resulting in several threats from right wing groups like VHP and Bajrang Dal, following which he is living in self-imposed exile in Dubai. “A painter at 90 deserves to be at his home – painting on his canvas,” the judge said quashing proceedings in three cases against Husain, and added that “it is most unfortunate that India’s new ‘puritanism’ is being carried out in the name of cultural purity and ignorant people vandalize art.” [From Delhi HC quashes obscenity case against MF Husain-India-The Times of India ] In a brilliant show of justice, the obscenity charges against Maqbool Fida Husain have been formally dropped…. I have covered the travails of MF Husain on this blog numerous times, not only as an example of extreme reactions to nude art but of how we are becoming more reserved and more tightly puritan .

More on the Nude Hannah Montana Scandal

I especially like so many members of the media taking the time to explain what a non event it is and how so much of the media is hyping it up, it appeals to the ironic in me I guess…. | Art & architecture | Guardian Unlimited The real question is why we are only now concerned about the sanctified purity of a teenaged superstar who struts around in mini-skirts selling concert tickets on the all-but-explicit promise, “Your kids will thank you, and Dad won’t necessarily be bored.”… From Internal Dissent: Miley Cyrus’s “nude” photo for Vanity Fair magazine – Full Comment While there may be an uproar around Miley Cyrus’s “topless” photo for a Vanity Fair shoot, it’s possible that this photograph of Miley with “Achy, Breaky” dad Billy Ray Cyrus is more disturbing.

Media Furor over Teen Nude

The much debated Miley Cyrus Portrait by Annie Leibovitz I don’t want to come across as a prude but surely creating this pedophile fantasy of a Disney star crosses the line…. The reason women are asked to take their clothes off for the camera is as simple as sex – it’s because men like to look at naked women, and exposed breasts and bums will sell magazines, calendars and movies…. I think the whole thing is a bit of a publicity stunt but I am appalled at the attitude of Sally Morrell and other reporters who don’t seem to have actually looked at the pic (or any art for that matter).

Nude art a rude shock in Islamabad

>200804301736.jpg Requesting anonymity, an artist told Daily Times that the NAG management should understand that the gallery was a public property and only such items should be put on display that pleased the public…. [From Daily Times – Leading News Resource of Pakistan – Nude art at Khazana shocks public ] I disagree that a museum’s job is to present work that appeals to everyone…. I do think that it is very progressive of the Islamabad National Art Gallery to display nude artworks, a huge leap forward when so many middle eastern museums and galleries ban nude art as a matter of course.

Museum fears children seeing nudes, not decapitations

or is it just that our society is now so warped that something natural that we all have is more shameful and disgusting than the violence surrounding us. Gonzalez’s works are inspired by baroque style and he cites art history as a source of bloody and violent works…. It seems a real shame that these pieces are now behind closed doors, I had a chance to see some of his works on this youtube video and they look stunning. very much in the style of the masters (and some of my favorite artists) and I venture that this exhibition might be educational to kids as it explores the underworld and the way drug deals can go wrong.

More on the Student Art competition nude scandal

In a followup to the recent story about robbing two young artists of a competition win and prize money for daring to enter nudes, several Virginian columnists have had their say about their feelings on the matter…. And don’t pre-screen 600-plus entries down to the 62 that De Groft was given to choose from, leave in “inappropriate” art, then call for a do-over when your juror makes his choice…. [From Censoring winner of student art show is in poor taste — Arts and Culture, Virginia, College of William and Mary — dailypress.com ] And you know you may have made a bad decision when an employee columnist from the newspaper that started it all has this to say: We in the news business go to great lengths to shield minors.

Boy’s nude artwork torn up

“I didn’t really care about them after I got in trouble, and I haven’t really wanted to draw anything like that since…. The female figures were among some of the easier tutorials to start and he had seen nudes in books and didn’t think there was anything wrong with his drawing them and proudly showing the works to his classmates…. the figures are poses without details- his certainly looks more like a figure than a nude- there are no offensive details, no pornographic images, just a small figure seated and rather well drawn.

Teen’s nude loses art award to hypocrisy

[From Art lovers raise money for teen who lost Student Gallery title | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com ] Three separate judges were brought in to choose a winner before the Pilot would finally accept one that was not nude in any way…. “We honestly don’t believe those two pieces are appropriate to be held up as the winners of a high school art show, because they do depict the nude,” Pam Smith-Rodden, director of marketing for The Pilot, said at the time…. Reid’s work is very discreet, There are almost no images of it but to me the pose is interesting and there is certainly nothing objectionable showing (no more than hipster pants reveal on a daily basis anyway) It is ridiculous that the competition was changed based on the entrants and laughable that judges were hired only to have their decisions overthrown.

Controversial Nudes did sell… and well

Maya with Pink Elephant by Maqbool Fida Husain The row escalated earlier in the week when activists petitioned Christie’s, the world’s best known and largest arts business and auction house, not to oversee transactions of any of Husain’s work.Christie’s rejected the demand, with spokesperson Sara Fox saying, “Art and culture embraces multiple interpretations and re-interpretations of religious and ethnic symbols that are often highly individual expressions.”Narain Kataria, president of the IAIF, told rediff.com, “Husain is a Muslim who was born in India, and he knows the significance of what he’s done. His hatred for Hindus is obvious in his actions and vulgar art, if you can call it art. It’s borderline pornography, not anything a normal person would consider art. By painting vulgar, sexual images of our great goddesses like Durgadevi, Lakshmi, and Saraswati, he deliberately insults Hindus’ sentiments…. MF Husain’s works frequently depict Hindu deities nude, I can see where that can be a source of contention if he displayed them in particularly sexual or pornographic poses, but most of his images are very peaceful, nudity is almost pure in them.

controversial nudes sell

In a letter to Christie’s, the Indian American Intellectual Forum, which has joined hands with Hindu Janjagruti Samiti on the campaign against Husain, said the artist has gained ignominy and notoriety in India by painting several Hindu gods and goddesses in derogatory forms…. Let us suppose for a moment that I understand the position on the Hindu extremists in India who are responsible for the exile of an artist…. Not content with already exiling the artist they now feel a need to try to make him a pariah in other countries – especially one that is well known for it’s laws on freedom of expression, speech and religious freedom.