Censorship

[workin for wood]

Because I do intarsia, I feel this is an appropriate place for this thread to be.
I am working on a picture and am going to enter it in the design contest. It is not complete yet, I don't know if it shoud be or can be posted prior to the contest or not. Apparently, a few other forums feel that my artwork is too controversial. Realistically, my art work, and it is art work in it's purest from, is no different that the venus de milo. It truly is a masterpiece. I have posted other works that are topless on this site and in my gallery with no opposition. It is not pornographic, it is artistic. My great grandfather died on the beaches of juno to defend my rights against the opressors like Hitler and Stallen. It is difficult for most to understand, because it is likely that most if not all of the people here have never been censored before, but it is a sick feeling. I have displayed my artwork in front of people of all ages and never had a negative comment. I have won in competition with such pieces. When did we start censoring artwork based on a few idividuals oppinions anyhow? We all know that everyone can't be happy all the time about anything in particular. I think that the people that do complain are usually not offended anyhow, but rather surfing on a power trip over the rest of us. Technically I am a christian, and even christian artwork dating back 2000 yrs contains woman with bare breasts. Hopefully, as in the past, people here will have open minds when they are given the opportunity to see my newest design.

[Gill]

For a short while, I thought Jeff was railing against this forum! I've always thought we tried to be as accommodating as possible and I was pleased when Jeff confirmed that his grievance is indeed with another forum.

Making judgments about where the boundaries of decency lie is very subjective and therefore difficult. This is a forum that's available to everyone, however, so I hope that when people post pictures here they'll ask themselves first if they'd be happy for their grandmother or daughter to see their work. If you think they might be uncomfortable, it's usually a good sign that your project will be out of place here.

Gill

[Pagan]

People are people and will allways have a opinion about anything, even the littlest problem or artifact....Just because you want to enter an object with an praticular subject i find you should could enter it in a competition.
In my opinion....Any subject with any text of abuse or racism should be excluded, any subject with tooooo much explicit content on the male or female genitals should be excluded....

Even now i want to think of other stuff that should be excluded but at a certain point i draw a line of including and excluding....for example a good pinup girl done in intarsia is art and nothing more...if people don't like it than they shouldn't look at it and if you do like it, enjoy it and look how it is made.

Old paintings hanging in a gallery having half naked kids and woman is and was than certainly excepted, why not a good piece of art in intarsia.

Now my english is growing and growing by the minute so sorry if their are any spelling mistakes in this or other threads i made or posted.

[miamw]

Jeff, I think your artwork is fantastic and am sorry for you that you have endured negative comments, even if they weren't publicly stated. Your piece shouldn't offend christians either. It's not obscene, nor suggestive, but a beautiful display of human beauty captured by wood. Why is it that just what, 500 years ago, artists were praised for such work and now, people just have dirty minds? That's what it really comes down to is that people are perverted and only think one thing when they see something like that. It's too bad the human body is becoming off limits for artists these days. I suppose Toni and Sue have had similar hurdles to overcome as well. Maybe you guys are on to something that many are overlooking.

KEEP UP THE FANTASTIC WORK!

[Bill Wilson]

Jeff,

I've never been in your shoes, so I can't necessarily relate completely to your frustration. I do, however, sympathize. Unfortunately the nature of our individual and corporate sensibilities is very fickle. Comments by one personality are considered offensive and racist, yet the same words uttered by someone else are considered art. Statues of nude Greek gods are masterpieces but a nude, chocolate Jesus is an abomination. There is no consistency, no rules of thumb, it's all subjective opinion. I would imagine it's very difficult for artists to know where the line is drawn, when it appears to be a perpetually moving target.

For me, context and motivation behind the work is important. While I haven't seen your work, based on what I've gathered while participating in this forum, I believe that you are motivated by a sincere desire to combine the beauty of wood with the beauty of the human form to create beautiful art. I have more respect for artists with these kind of motivations and will tend to resist being offended by their work if something they produce happens to be controversial or provocative.

I feel some artists are trying to be controversial, push envelopes, make statements or promote personal agendas with their work. If their work "crosses the line", then it's easier for me to be offended if I don't respect their motivation. I know that's pretty vague and subjective, but I hope you understand where I'm coming from.

[workin for wood]

Thanx guys. When I reveal this picture, think Venus de Milo...but not. It's incredible and genious. My kids are like any other kids, and I have a feeling kids are more mature than alot of adults, but kids are the main excuse...yet it's always the men with the "hubba hubba" attitude. My kids think this picture far exceeds anything else that I have ever done. But the subject matter is the same. It's also important to realize, that I am really trying hard to push this stuff towards main stream art. That's part of why I do what I do. I'm looking to get intarsia's into actual art magazines. Not that ssw isn't an art magazine, but ssw, is scrolling and wood art, where I'm talking all forms of artwork. So I will be pushing to get into the all arts competition at the museum in Ann Arbor MI this fall. I'll be trying to get all you michiganders and northern buckeyes out to vote.

Thank god I got called in to work today...my blood pressure is off the charts this morning. I am usually a very relaxed person.

[Back2Jake]

Originally Posted by miamw

... I suppose Toni and Sue have had similar hurdles to overcome as well. Maybe you guys are on to something that many are overlooking....

KEEP UP THE FANTASTIC WORK!

Well, that one raised more than one eyebrow let me tell ya. I personally have been censored in many areas of scrolling. There are several members on this forum who wish I'd simply go away and stop doing the projects I do because they find them offensive. They are NEVER created with that in mind. .....

As for acceptance in scrolling forums, well I have to say this one is the most accepting in my opinion. Much of that has to go to the administration since I still get those lovely emails outside the forum walls. Unlike myself, Jeff you have a great deal of confidence in your work and I am sure you will continue to push ahead what has been started.




Take care
Toni

[Mackem]

Jeff, i've seen the subject you are writing about and in my opinion, it is purely a piece of intARTsia, nothing more and nothing less. And i must say i think it looks FANTASTIC, can't wait to see it finished.

[Randy]

Jeff: My thoughts are "quityourbitchen" and move on. Sounds to me like you are just looking for sympathy and a pat on the head and not much else. If you have a problem with the policy of a particular forum, that would have been the appropriate venue for your comments, not here!!

I don't know what a "technical Christian" is; but it sounds like someone who wants the mantle without all of the accompanying work.

Two points you conveniently forget are as follows. You are not such a magnificent artist that everyone is going to agree with you or love your work.....get over it. People have very different tastes in art and as such it is totally arrogant of you to expect that everyone will like or accept your work, especially if it is of a controversial nature. It's pretty easy to figure out that a forum run by a Southern Baptist church or an Islam mosque is going to have different standards than one by the Metropolitan Museum of Art or Playboy Magazine. If a particular forum doean't like your work, find one that does. just like choosing friends. Hang around the ones you like, not the ones you don't. Seems pretty simple to me??

".....My great grandfather died on the beaches of Juno to defend my rights against the oppressors like Hitler and Stalin....." With all due respect to your grandfather and mine and many others, they weren't fighting and dying for your right to post a representation of a naked woman on a private Internet forum and comparing a an Internet moderator to Hitler or Stalin is the height of hyperbole nonsense. I remind you, that with rare exception, Internet forums are private operations and invariably, you are asked to agree to abide by their rules and regulations. And on most of those sites, when you cut through the legalese, the participants/members have very few rights, if any, and the administrators are gods and can do whatever their judgment and conscience guides them to do. Bottom line, if you don't like the policy of a particular forum, move on and find one that is more to you liking and quit whining about the ones you don't like.

Deal with it!!!

[workin for wood]

that seems a bit harsh to say. It's an emotional experience...what else can I say? I don't really need anyones sympathy...just discussing what's on my mind at the moment. You never know...maybe someone else has had issues and is offering advise on how they deal with it.

I know my father always said when emotions run high, it's best to lay low and cool off. But true as that probably is, it's easier said then done, and the next thing you know your choking on your foot!