could the national endowment for the arts fund anti-christian art?

[gnosis92]

could the national endowment for the arts fund anti-christian art?

i recall they funded "piss on christ" which pissed off xians

[general_koffi]

If you're going to fund something like art, you can't tell people what they can and cannot paint/draw/sculpt. That's policing thought and expression.

The government shouldn't be funding art...

[Toto]

It wasn't "piss on christ," it was "Piss Christ" which was a very spiritual artistic photograph by a believer of a crucifix in a jar of his own urine, which had some theological significance to the artist.

Piss_ChristThe art critic and Catholic Nun Sister Wendy Beckett voiced her approval of Piss Christ.

[gnosis92]

If you're going to fund something like art, you can't tell people what they can and cannot paint/draw/sculpt. That's policing thought and expression.

The government shouldn't be funding art...

xians would probably agree w/u

[gnosis92]

It wasn't "piss on christ," it was "Piss Christ" which was a very spiritual artistic photograph by a believer of a crucifix in a jar of his own urine, which had some theological significance to the artist.

Piss_Christ

i agree with xians -- that sort of thing represents a clear c/s violation

[Padre Bear]

Maplethorpe, wasn't it.

[crazyfingers]

i agree with xians -- that sort of thing represents a clear c/s violation

I think that if it funds pro-religion stuff it should also fund anti. Difficult decision criteria. I suspect that the easiest and best approach is not to fund anything on the subject of religion.

[Worldtraveller]

Actually, as long as the government money doesn't come with any kind of requirements for or against the content of the art (within legal guidelines), the subject can be anything: Religious, anti-religious, or secular.

You only run into trouble when the government starts showing a preference one way or the other.

Cheers,
Lane

[gnosis92]

Actually, as long as the government money doesn't come with any kind of requirements for or against the content of the art (within legal guidelines), the subject can be anything: Religious, anti-religious, or secular.

You only run into trouble when the government starts showing a preference one way or the other.

Cheers,
Lane

if artists receive such money and paint xian art, isn't this a Church/State Separation issue?

[Styrofoamdeity]

Maplethorpe, wasn't it.

No, Andres Serrano. Toto provides the link in his post above.

I work in the arts. Serrano is an extremely respected artist, and his fame is not simply down to having created the remarkable Piss-Christ. Some of Serrano's morgue photography is so remarkably serene that it will haunt you. There is no ideological message to Piss-Christ or Serrano's other work. Judging a work solely by one's agreement with the presumed message is a creativity-killing exercise that can result in a sensibility not that far off from that of present day born-agains in America, most of whom don't know art from a Hallmark card. If they agree with the message, no matter how heavy-handed, sappy, or stilted, why it's just uplifting art.

Mapplethorpe (not to be confused with Serrano) did have a few quasi-anti-religious message photos, which I find pretty heavy handed. I personally don't find any Mapplethorpe photos to be anywhere near the quality of Serrano's...

[Padre Bear]

No, Andres Serrano. Toto provides the link in his post above.

I work in the arts. Serrano is an extremely respected artist, and his fame is not simply down to having created the remarkable Piss-Christ. Some of Serrano's morgue photography is so remarkably serene that it will haunt you. There is no ideological message to Piss-Christ or Serrano's other work. Judging a work solely by one's agreement with the presumed message is a creativity-killing exercise that can result in a sensibility not that far off from that of present day born-agains in America, most of whom don't know art from a Hallmark card. If they agree with the message, no matter how heavy-handed, sappy, or stilted, why it's just uplifting art.

Mapplethorpe (not to be confused with Serrano) did have a few quasi-anti-religious message photos, which I find pretty heavy handed. I personally don't find any Mapplethorpe photos to be anywhere near the quality of Serrano's...

Thanks for the correction. I should have remembered it was Serrano. At the time many of Maplethorpe's photos were, also, causing a rucous. I have a friend who is a professional photographer, also, who knew Maplethorpe and at the time we had discussions about both Serrano and Maplethorpe's work. I didn't recognize the link when I first read the post.

[Worldtraveller]

if artists receive such money and paint xian art, isn't this a Church/State Separation issue?
In a word, no.

At least not in my opinion, and the general consensus of the courts seems to be in line with that thought process.

The general opinion of the religious right is somewhat opposite that, and tends to be rather hypocritical, but that's to be expected these days.

Google 'Lemon Test' and read some legal opinions on how it is applied in various cases. There are some subtleties that are very gray. :)

Cheers,
Lane