Killing Two Birds with One
Stone: An Information Literacy
Lesson in Art History and
Censorship for Non-majors
Susan Bissonnette
Librarian for Information Literacy/Distance Learning
Herkimer County Community College
Herkimer, New York
bissonnse@herkimer.edu
OBJECTIVES:
• Evaluate information
and its sources
critically.
• Incorporate selected
information into one’s
knowledge base.
• Understand the social
issues surrounding
the use of
information.
Instructor’s Introduction
•
•
•
•
In 1993, I taught Introduction to the Humanities at a community college. When we
finally reached the 20th century at the end of the textbook, I asked my students to
bring images from magazines that they believed represented their contemporary
society. I then divided the students into groups and had them paste the images on
poster boards. At the end of the class, I displayed the collages in each classroom
and left them to allow the students to admire their own artwork (non-majors).
The following class, we noticed white pieces of paper were attached to the collages to
cover certain images. I took down the pieces of paper. The same thing occurred
when we entered the room again.
Later that week, I received a request to go down to the administrative offices. They
asked me to take down the collages because some people found them offensive. I
asked which ones and they mentioned the image of Jesus placed near two men
embracing (taken from a condom poster).
The student who added the image of Jesus told me she was devoutly religious, and
the student who contributed the image of the men was a “rocker.” Neither one of
them could understand how they had been censored. That, I told my students, was
how it always was; censorship is never really about the work of art, but about the
viewer.
Course Title: Information Literacy
Syllabus: Week IV- Issues in Information
• Copyright
• Plagiarism
Censorship
• Privacy
• Media Ethics
A Short Lesson in the Censorship
of Art in the USA
• The following images are a sample of the lecture I give
to college students who take my information literacy
course. Certain images were not available to use in this
presentation because I could not afford to pay the fee
requested by the museums, estates and copyright
holders of the original works. A very special thank you to
the artists and organizations who freely contributed to
this virtual poster session even though they are also in
need of funding. This presentation is not intended for art
or art history majors. Please do not copy the images or
save them on to your computer. Thank you.
Information is often challenged by
politics and religion, especially
art & images.
Nazi Germany is a perfect example.
Entarte Kunst: Degenerate Art. California Polytechnic. 5 April 2007
<http://cla.calpoly.edu/~mriedlsp/History437/Art/Enarte%20Kunst.htm>
Surprisingly, the United States of America
is also an example.
"What is really at stake is whether
or not America will allow the
cultural high ground in this
nation to sink slowly into an
abyss of slime to placate people
who clearly seek or are willing
to destroy the Judaic-Christian
foundations of this republic."
(1990, on funding for the
National Endowment for the
Arts)
Jesse Helms, former U.S. Senator from
North Carolina
•
Image: Scott, Dread. What is the Proper Way to
Display a U.S. Flag? 1989. Dread Scott
Homepage. 12 March 2007
<http://dreadscott.home.mindspring.com/wh
atis.html>
Constitution of the
United States of America
• Bill of Rights
• Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the
right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the government for a
redress of grievances.
Artists Censored or Challenged for
Their Work in the USA
The following images have
been at one time or another
challenged or censored for
various reasons. Please
look closely. Try to guess
why the artists' work is so
controversial to some
people. You will find the
answers if you read the
books, articles, or Web sites
from the bibliography.
Image: WPA Art Project. Democracy… a
challenge. 1936-40. Chicago, Illinois.
Library of Congress. 5 April 2007.
<http://memory.loc.gov>
Grant Wood
Haven, Janet. “Going Back to
Iowa: The World of Grant
Wood.” University of
Virginia American Studies
Program. 1998. 21 March
2007
<http://xroads.virginia.edu/~
ma98/haven/wood/home.htm
l>
Image: WP Clipart. 27 April 2007.
<http://www.wpclipart.com/imgpag
e.html?http://www.wpclipart.com/a
rt/Paintings/American_Gothic__Gr
ant_Wood.png>
Robert Frank
Sources:
Wood, Daniel B. “Frank Photography.” The
Christian Science Monitor 21 August 1987:
L1182. Lexis-Nexis. Herkimer County
Community College Library. 1 Mar. 2007
<http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>
Grundberg, Andy. “Photography View: A Show
That Puts a Social Critic in a Larger
context.” The New York Times 7 July 1985:
L1217. Lexis-Nexis. Herkimer County
Community College Library. 1 Mar. 2007
<http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>
Image: Frank, Robert. Cafeteria--San Francisco.
1956. Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art,
Cornell University 12 March 2007
<http://www.museum.cornell.edu/HFJ/handb
ook/hb198.html>
Roy Lichtenstein
Hall, David. “Roy Lichtenstein
1923-1997.” Art Monthly. 211
(1997): 10. Wilson Select.
Firstsearch. 19 March 2007
<http://firstsearch.oclc.org>
Image Source: Yale University Art Gallery
Oil on canvas, 68 x 80 in. (172.7 x 203.2 cm)
Gift of Richard Brown Baker, B.A. 1935
1995.32.9
©Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
Image: Lichtenstein, Roy. Blam. 1962. Yale
University Art Gallery. 21 March 2007.
<http://artgallery.yale.edu>
Edward Kienholz
Weschler, Lawrence. “The
Subversive Art of Ed Kienholz.”
Art News 83 September 1984,
p.100 – 106.
Couvrette, Shelly. “Edward Kienholz:
The State Hospital.” Cat Sidh.
2005. 15 March 2007 <www.catsidh.net/Writing/Kienholz.html>
Source: Kienholz, Edward. The State Hospital.
1966. Museet Moderna, Stockholm. 12
March 2007
<www.artchive.com/.../state_hospital_int.jpg.
html>
Judy Chicago
The Dinner Party (1979)
Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center
Foundation
© Judy Chicago
Image © Donald Woodman
Image: Chicago, Judy. The Dinner Party.
1979. Brooklyn Museum. 10 March
2007.
<http://www.throughtheflower.com>
Courtesy of Through the Flower archives.
The National Endowment for the Arts
www.nea.gov
“The National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 1965 established
the National Endowment for the Arts and provided for 26 citizens to serve as
advisors to the agency as members of the National Council on the Arts.
Members are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate for
six-year, staggered terms. In 1997, Congress enacted legislation that
reduced the membership of the Council to 14 and required the appointment
of an additional six members of Congress to serve in an ex officio, nonvoting capacity for two-year terms.”
•
National Endowment for the Arts. National Council on the Arts: History and Purpose. 14 March
2007 <http://www.nea.gov/about/NCA/About_NCA.html>
•
Shiner, Larry. “When Outrage Meets Arrogance: Controversial Art and Public Funding.” Illinois
Periodicals Online 25 (1990) Northern Illinois University Libraries. 19 March 2007
<http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/1990/ii900423.html>
Robert Mapplethorpe
Mapplethorpe, Robert, Celant, Germano and
Arkady Ippolitov. Robert Mapplethorpe And
The Classical Tradition: Photographs and
Mannerist Prints, 2004.
Grundberg, Andy. “Blaming the Medium for the
Message.” New York Times. 6 August
1989: L1. Lexis-Nexis. 3 March 2007
<http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>
Image: Mapplethorpe, Robert. Forty
Nudes. Munich: Schirmer/Mosel
Publishing, 2007. <http://www.schirmermosel.de>
Andres Serrano
Piss Christ, 1989
Serrano, Andres, Hobbs, Robert
Carleton and Wendy Steiner
and Marcia Tucker. Andres
Serrano: Works 1983-1993.
Philadelphia: Institute of
Contemporary Art, University of
Pennsylvania, 1994.
Grundberg, Andy. “Blaming the
Medium for the Message.” New
York Times. 6 August 1989.
Lexis-Nexis. 3 March 2007
<http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>
Image: Serrano, Andres. Piss Christ. 1987.
Walter Otero Gallery. 12 February 2007
<http://www.artnet.com/artwork/42428843
4/423908876/andres-serrano-pisschrist.html>
Sally Mann
Photograph: Jessie at Five
gelatin silver print
19 5/8 in. x 23 3/4 in. (49.85 cm x 60.33 cm)
Collection SFMOMA
Purchase 89.13
© Sally Mann
Woodward, Richard B. “The
Disturbing Photography of Sally
Mann.” New York Times. 27
September 1992. Lexis-Nexis. 21
March 2007 <http://web.lexisnexis.com/universe/>
Source: Mann, Sally. Jessie at Five. 1987. San
Francisco Museum of Art. 2 April 2007
<http://wwwsfmoma.org>
Kara Walker
Image:
Scene of McPherson’s Death.
Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil
War, (Annotated), 2005
Offset lithography and silkscreen
Paper Size: 53 x 39 inches
Image Size: Approx. 38 x 32 inches
Edition of 35
Courtesy of Barbara Krakow Gallery.
“The Art of Kara Walker.” Walker Art
Center. 15 March 2007
<http:learn.walkerart.org/karawalk
er/Main/AnnotatedResourceList>
Walker, Kara. Scene of McPherson’s Death. Harper’s
Pictorial History of the Civil War. 2005. Barabara
Krakow Gallery. 15 March 2007
<http://www.barbarakrakowgallery.com>
Art After 9/11/01
• Anderson, Kevin. “How
Free is American
Information?” BBC News
World Edition. 5 January
2005. British
Broadcasting
Corporation. 17 March
2007
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/
hi/world/americas/414630
7.stm>
Tim Glover
Empty Trellis, 2001
• Glover, Tim. GloverArt.com.
Bissmeyer Computing. 25
June 2001. 1 April 2007
<http://www.gloverart.com>
• “Secret Wars.” DocArt.com.
21 September 2001. Art Car
Museum. 1April 2007
<http://docart.com/exhibitions/
SecretWars/exhibit.html>
Image: Glover, Tim. Empty Trellis
(revisited) 1993-2000. 1 April 2007.
<www.gloverart.com>
Cosimo Cavallaro
McShane, Larry. “Chocolate Jesus
Show Canceled.” Associated
Press. 30 March 2007.
Yahoo.com. 31 March
2007<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/
20070330/ap_en_ot/chocolate_jes
us>
Pesce, Nicole Lyn, and Gina
Salamone. “Catholics Outraged
by Chocolate Jesus.” Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette. 31 March 2007:
A10. Lexis-Nexis. 2 April 2007
<http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe>
Image: Cavallaro, Cosimo. My Sweet Lord.
2005-2007. Cosimo Cavallaro. 3 April
2007. <www.cosimocavallaro.com>
Topics for Discussion
• Why do you think images are censored?
• Do you believe the U.S. government has
the right to censor images if some people
oppose them?
• How would you feel if someone objected
to something you did (essay you wrote,
picture you took, Web site you made)?
Assignment
• Choose one image. Using the citations
included on the slides, find an article on
one of the Library’s databases.
• Print it out.
• Read the article.
• Respond to the article (write one page).
• Write your opinion (half page)
• All double-spaced. Write your name
Selected Bibliography
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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•
Atkins, Robert and Svetlana Mintcheva. Censoring Culture: Contemporary Threats to Free
Expression. New York: The New Press, 2006.
Berry, Ian, Darby English, et al. Eds. Kara Walker: Narratives of a Negress. Cambridge: MIT
Press, 2003.
“Censorship in Camouflage: A Project about the Unexplored Aspects of Censorship.” National
Coalition Against Censorship. Panel Discussion at the Vera List Center for Art and Politics,
Summer 2002.
Childs, Elizabeth C., Ed. Suspended License: Censorship and the Visual Arts. Washington,
University of Washington Press, 1997.
Dean, Jodi. “Virtual Fears.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society. 24, no 4 (1999):
1069-1078.
Dubin, Steven C. Arresting Images: Impolitic Art and Uncivil Actions. New York: Routledge,
Chapman and Hall, 1992.
Egendorf, Laura K. Censorship. Michigan: Greenhaven Press, 2003.
Frank, Robert. The Americans. New York: Aperture, 1978.
Goldberg, Vicki and Robert Silberman. American Photography: A Century of Images. San
Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1999.
Hughes, Robert. The Shock of the New. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1991.
Hull, Mary E. Censorship in America: A Reference Book. California: ABC CLIO, 1999.
Selected Bibliography (continued)
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Hughes, Robert. The Shock of the New. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1991.
Hull, Mary E. Censorship in America: A Reference Book. California: ABC CLIO,
1999.
Jacobson, Colin. Underexposed: “Pictures Can Lie and Liars Use Pictures.” London:
Vision on Publishing, 2002.
Mann, Sally. Immediate Family. New York: Aperture, 1992.
Meyer, Richard. “The Jesse Helms Theory of Art.” October. Spring 2003.
Rosenthal, Norman, Shone, Richard, Maloney, Martin, et al. Sensation: Young British
Artists from the Saatchi collection. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
Sackler, Elizabeth A., Ed. Judy Chicago. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications,
2002.
Senie, Harriet F. and Sally Webster, Eds. Critical Issues in Public Art: Content,
Context and Controversy. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
Steiner, Wendy. The Scandal of Pleasure. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
1995.
Varnedoe, Kirk, Antonelli, Paola and Joshua Siegel, Eds. Modern Contemporary: Art
at MOMA Since 1980. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2000.
Selected Web Sites
Chilling Effects of Anti-Terrorism
Chilling Effects of Anti-Terrorism. "National Security" Toll on Freedom
of Expression. The right to free speech faces the strongest ...
<www.eff.org/Censorship/Terrorism_militias/antiterrorism_chill.html >
Electronic Frontier Foundation
working to protect civil and free speech rights regardless of technology, educating the public about
civil liberties issues related to technology, and acting as a defender of those liberties.
<www.eff.org/>
The Free Expression Policy Project
Project is affiliated with The National Coalition Against Censorship. <www.fepproject.org/>
Hera Gallery
Hera Gallery Founded in 1974 as an artists' cooperative gallery. <www.heragallery.org/>
National Endowment for the Arts
U.S. Federal agency that awards grants to arts organizations and artists.
<www.nea.gov/>
The “NEA Tapes.” (Paul Lamarre or Melissa Wolf eidia@rcn.com) <www.neatapes.com>
Art Car Museum (Houston, Texas) <www.artcarmuseum.com/secretwars.html>
THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet
Service of the Library of Congress. To find United States Government documents.
<thomas.loc.gov/>