Secret Masterpieces: Art Censorship

1794 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: censorship negative consequences

What is the point of creating a masterpiece if it cannot be made available to the public eye? Many pieces of art are often hidden from the public eye because of art censorship. Some of these pieces could even potentially be “the work of the century,” but will unfortunately never see the light of day. Censorship is the act of suppressing any form of expression that is deemed “inappropriate” in any matter and has been a part of the art world for centuries. No matter what day and age, art will always be viewed in two ways–appreciatively and critically. Visual art should not have to be censored because it is a violation of freedom of expression, causes job loss, contains material familiar to humankind, and is a subject that deserves all opinions of the public and not just one side.
When a piece of art falls victim to censorship, whether it be by the public or government, not only is it an insult to the artist, personally, but is also a violation of both artist’s and supporter’s freedom of expression. “…fine art usually entails things that are personal to the artist. This art is meant to be viewed and feelings and opinions are meant to be culled from this” (Lenhart). Art is a way of expressing one’s innermost thoughts and emotions. With each piece, the artist puts a little bit of his or her life into the creation, however, when the public or government attempts to censor this art, it is almost as if they are really implying that the artist’s life or feelings are not good enough for display to the public. To a majority, this would come across as offensive or as a “slap to the face” situation when having any kind of thoughts or feelings suppressed simply because one group of people does not like it. In addition, artists also create p...

... middle of paper ...

...her Joh, and Eugene Linden. "Why We Fight Art." Time. 4 Apr. 1994: 12. Student Research Center. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
"Governments, Censorship, and the Arts." New York Times. 13 Aug. 1989: n. pag. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.
Keeran, Holly. "Art Censorship Laws in America." eHow. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
Ketchum, Robert Glenn. "Censorship at Many Levels." Huffpost Arts & Culture. Huffington Post, 4 Mar. 2011: n. pag. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.
Lenhart, Mike. "Should Art or Design Be Censored?" Artbistro. Monster, 22 June 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.
Storr, R. "Art, Censorship, and the First Amendment." Art Journal 50.3 (1991): 12. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
Zagano, Phyllis. "Beyond the First Amendment: Censorship, Art, and Moral Responsibility." Vital Speeches of the Day. 20th ed. Vol. 57.: McMurry, 1991. 632-37. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

Show More
Related

  • Symbolism in How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel

    3187 Words  | 7 Pages

    Houchin, John H. Censorship of the American Theatre in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2003.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451: Poem Analysis

    752 Words  | 2 Pages

    Along with Fahrenheit 451, poems, newspaper articles, magazine articles and even the Constitution have touched base on censorship. One poem that discusses this problem is “Rain” by Billy Collins. This poem explains censorship in a domino effect. The author shows how banning books leads to the banning of many more objects. US linked to new wave of censorship, surveillance on web”.

    Read More

  • Carol Rose Article Summary

    400 Words  | 1 Pages

    My article of choice is “On pins and needles defending artistic expression” this article was posted on boston.com on April 8, 2010, written by Carol Rose. Carol Rose is a really busy woman, graduating from Stanford University and Harvard Law school, Carol is the executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, starting in January 2003, an attorney specializing in First Amendment and media law, intellectual property, civil rights, and international human rights law , and a journalist. “Carol has spent her career advocating for human rights and civil liberties both in the United States and abroad, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Japan, Sri Lanka, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Northern Ireland, and Vietnam”. (https://aclum.org/about/staff-advocates/carol-rose/).

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    The common reading of the First Amendment is that commitment to free speech is not the acceptance of only non-controversial expressions that enjoy general approval. To accept a commitment to the First Amendment means, in the words of Justice Holmes, “freedom for what we hate.” As quoted in Students’ Right to Read (NCTE, 1982), “Censorship leaves students with an inadequate and distorted picture of the ideals, values, and problems of their culture. Writers may often be the spokesmen of their culture, or they may stand to the side, attempting to describe and evaluate that culture. Yet, partly because of censorship or the fear of censorship, many writers are ignored or inadequately represented in the public schools, and many are represented in anthologies not by their best work but by their safest or least offensive work.” What are the issues involved in censorship?

    Read More

  • The Tyranny of Banned Books

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    Foerstel, Herbert N. Banned in the U.S.A.: a Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1994. Print.

    Read More

  • Banning Books in Schools

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    McNamee, Gregory. "Absolutely True Tales Of Censorship." Kirkus Reviews 79.17 (2011): 1508. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • Drawing the Line on the New Censorship

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    Censorship is a great temptation, particularly when we see something that offends or frightens us. At such times, our best defense is to remember what J. M. Coetzee writes in Giving Offense: Essays on Censorship. "By their very nature, censors wound their own vision when they restrict what others can see. The one who pronounces the ban ... becomes, in effect, the blind one, the one at the center of the ring in the game of blind man's bluff."

    Read More

  • Post-Modern Art and Obscenity

    2619 Words  | 6 Pages

    .... "Post-Modern Art and the Death of Obscenity Law." Yale Law Journal. April 1990: 1359-1378. Reprinted at lexis.com. 11 Dec. 2000 <http://www.lexis.com>. 1-20.

    Read More

  • Censorship in Schools

    2166 Words  | 5 Pages

    Issues of censorship in public schools are contests between the exercise of discretion and the exercise of a Constitutional right. The law must reconcile conflicting claims of liberty and authority, as expressed by Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter in Minersville School District v. Gobitis, 1940 in “Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries” by Herbert N. Foerstel (23).

    Read More

  • Let’s Put Pornography Back in the Closet

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    In her essay “Let’s Put Pornography Back in the Closet,” Susan Brownmiller, a prominent feminist activist, argues that pornography should not be protected under the First Amendment (59). Her position is based on the belief that pornography is degrading and abusive towards women (Brownmiller 59). She introduces the reader to the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, and explains how it relates to her beliefs on censoring pornographic material (Brownmiller 58). In addition, she provides examples of First Amendment controversies such as Miller v. California and James Joyce’s Ulysses to explain how the law created a system to define pornographic material (Brownmiller 58). She described the system that used a three-part test as confusing (Brownmiller 58). Regardless of whether or not the First Amendment was intended to protect obscenities, she and many others believe that the legislatures should have the final say in the decision of creating and publishing pornography (Brownmiller 60).

    Read More

  • Banning Books

    4607 Words  | 10 Pages

    Lastly, there is censorship that involves someone who is part of an organized campaign, whether of a local or national group, and who goes in ready for a fight and wants to make a broader political point” (Miner 1998). Although there are many other ways that a piece of literature could get censored, most censored works are asked to be removed from classrooms and school libraries. There are four motivational factors that may lie behind a censor’s actions. Those factors include family values, religion, political views, and minority rights.... ... middle of paper ... ...2003.

    Read More

  • Scholastic Censorship: Stifling Intellectual Growth

    2276 Words  | 5 Pages

    The term "censorship" originates from the Latin censere, "to give as one's opinion, to assess" (Culture Shock: Who Decides? How and Why?: Definitions of Censorship). In contrast to this seemingly simple definition, contemporary usage offers no agreed-upon definition of the term or its' appropriate usage, most specifically concerning the highly conteste...

    Read More

  • The Controversy Around Banning Books

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    The subject of censorship is a very controversial one, especially the banning of books. Many people believe they must protect themselves and others from the "evils" of many classic books and works of art because they can be deemed "indecent" in one way or another. Many believe that this is absurd and censorship in its current form is a violation of our First Amendment right to free speech. Personally, I align myself with the latter, however I do feel there are occasions where censorship is justifiable.

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects of Censorship

    3203 Words  | 7 Pages

    Since the foundation of the United States after a harsh split from Britain, almost 200 years later, an issue that could claim the founding grounds for the country is now being challenged by educators, high-ranking officials, and other countries. Though it is being challenged, many libertarians, democrats, and free-speech thinkers hold the claim that censorship violates our so-called unalienable rights, as it has been proven throughout many court cases. Censorship in the United States is detrimental because it has drastically and negatively altered many significant events.

    Read More

  • Ethical Judgments Limit the Pursuit of Knowledge

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kieran, M. (2008, January 28). Art, censorship and morality. Open Learn, the Open University. Retrieved January 5, 2014 from http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/culture/philosophy/art-censorship-and-morality

    Read More

More about Secret Masterpieces: Art Censorship

Open Document