31/1/2000
OVER ART CENSORSHIP
SpecialtyArts.Com, Kirkland, WA
National Debate Over Art Censorship Now Goes Online.
Even if you missed The Brooklyn Museum of Art's exhibition, SENSATION, it's not too late to see what the ruckus was all about and why lots of people, including Mayor Rudolf Guiliani, were outraged. You can now go online, see exhibit highlights, find a summary of all the key issues, and participate in the new discussion forum on art hosted by the web site, www.SpecialtyArts.Com.
At the center of the controversy is the collage, entitled Holy Virgin Mary by Chris Ofili. Depicted with elephant dung and surrounded by magazine cut outs of sexual organs, this image of Virgin Mary is unlike any you have seen before...and to many people represents a religious sacrilege.
According to Eve Johnson, President of SpecialtyArts.Com, Inc., a newly formed Kirkland, Washington based company, our mission is to serve as a significant online community resource for the visual arts. With plans to become the central web site for showcasing quality crafted artwork and introducing talented artists from around the world, SpecialtyArts.Com, Inc. hopes to also raise public awareness and appreciation for contemporary art.
The question being raised in this month's discussion is whether there should be limits to what is presented as art. The question is complex and SpecialtyArts.Com, Inc. plans to publish all comments and suggested resources that contribute positively to the discussion and invite an exchange of ideas.
The Discussion Forum is one of several regular features found on the site, designed to keep the public informed about the world of art. As a consolidator of art news, SpecialtyArts.Com, Inc. posts a calendar of art exhibitions and fairs plus listings of fine art museums, online exhibits, art schools, art workshops, and online art publications. If you have interest in the visual arts, you'll definitely want to bookmark www.SpecialtyArts.Com as a key reference source.