editorial Removal of provocative photograph sets dangerous precedent

Author: [no author name found]

The decision to remove one of Aaron Gensler's '08 photographs from her exhibit in The Center Gallery last week raises important questions about the role of public art on campus - and the role that College administrators should play in dictating the content of this art. In removing a photograph deemed too upsetting for display in the uniquely public gallery space, both the curator of the exhibit and the administrators who pushed for this removal have set a dangerous precedent for a student's ability to present challenging, startling and even provocative art on campus.

Gensler's photographs were originally taken after last spring's tragic shooting at Virginia Tech left 33 dead. While originally intended to incite discussion and mark the one-year anniversary of these shootings, the exhibit took on added, coincidental weight after a gunman at Northern Illinois University opened fire on campus and left 22 people killed or wounded on Feb. 14. In our own corner of the country, the uncertainty and concern about the disappearance of first-year Nicholas Garza that still grips the College descended on the community concurrently with the installation of the photographs.

Gensler's exhibit, however, seems to have been intended not to inflame understandably tender feelings stemming from this violence and uncertainty but rather to encourage open and thoughtful dialogue. The photographs of students holding a toy gun are undeniably uncomfortable, but Gensler's photographs challenge visitors to the gallery to think critically about the American relationship to the gun, the role of gun violence on college campuses and the breadth of images and messages about firearms that Americans encounter every day.

As extended conversation about the infamous "tire art" last fall proved, art in public places does - and indeed should - incite discussion. (One could quip, of course, that many pieces of art on campus make members of the community "uncomfortable" - the tire art and the sprawling "Smog" sculpture leaping to mind as examples of artwork oft belittled by students.) In some cases, the discussion is lighthearted, or purely aesthetic. In others, such as Gensler's, the debate over art stems from deeply rooted discomfort with theme. Both are valuable, necessary and enriching.

Clearly, The Center Gallery is a unique space, and one with particular challenges. Steps should be taken to warn visitors to that they are entering a gallery space. In addition to preparing visitors for art that could be deemed provocative or startling, this would draw attention to the student artwork on display. In the hustle and bustle of our on campus lives, passers by in the McCullough Student Center are all too quick to overlook this unique and valuable gallery space. Additionally, appropriate text should always be installed at the same time as the art on display in this space, not only to avoid confusion about the installation but also to aid the very conversation the gallery strives to promote.

The Center Gallery provides a valuable opportunity for both student artists and the community as a whole - precisely because it is the sort of space in which visitors do not expect to encounter works of art. Photographs such as Gensler's deserve and demand display in such a forum. Rather than censoring the art on display in this gallery, curators, artists and members of the College staff should utilize this opportunity to engage the entire community - and not just students "expecting" the challenge of unsettling art - with uncomfortable, enriching artwork. We hate to see one photograph removed - we'd prefer the whole series go up.