Today is Sunday, February 5, 2012. February 5, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Jordan Aman
This painting done by junior, Kevin Muller, was taken down after a few complaints from the staff.
Jordan and Jane Aman, Arts Editor
May 10, 2010
Filed under Arts
The debate between acceptable nudity and gratuitous nakedness has, since Michelangelo’s time, been a controversial topic in the art world, if not one of the biggest issues with which an artist dealing with such subject matter will be confronted. What is the difference between a tasteful nude and a naked portrait, and furthermore, when is it acceptable within the walls of AHS?
The catalyst behind recognizing this controversy was a painting done by junior IB Art student Kevin Muller, which depicts a nude woman lying across a table. The piece was on display on the back wall of the copy room. A few teachers, who have chosen to remain anonymous, walked into the room without expecting to see such an image. They were “astounded and flabbergasted” at the sight of the painting.
Each sent an e-mail to Assistant Principal Vincent Randazzo contending that they were caught off guard and “offended” by this piece, which they had to see every time they entered the room to make photocopies.
In an effort to quell the situation, Randazzo kindly asked Ann Harper, Head of the Art Department, to remove the painting from its display.
Harper responded to Randazzo’s e-mail saying she would be glad to remove the painting the following day, Wednesday, May 5. She left school at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, having, so she thought, resolved the situation.
Randazzo replied later, asking if it was possible to remove the painting that same day. Seeing that Harper was not at the school to take down the painting, it was removed by another individual: turned around, facing the wall, to be found by Muller the next morning during W2.
When asked for a statement about his art, Muller said, “In art, nudity is not just a way to show a naked person. It is a way to study the human body and for some artists, it is a way to reflect emotion.”
“The way this situation was handled is disappointing,” said junior IB Art student Jessica Camilli. “It doesn’t seem fair to me that people who put time, materials and their thoughts and emotions into their work aren’t able to display and convey their message. The artists in our school aren’t trying to show off sex, they’re trying to convey emotion and feeling.”
Senior IB Photography student Isabel Silvestre agreed with Camilli, “It’s all a matter of the artist’s intent.”
It took Muller four days to create the painting, which he made for a friend. The painting is now located in his friend’s house.
Muller recieved an A for the painting and was quite satisfied with his work.
“I love it. I think it’s technically sophisticated and appropriate for display in Annandale,” Harper said.
“Art displayed in AHS is subject to an additional layer of consideration for the ‘appropriateness factor’. Our school is open to the public, young and old. We have a huge diversity at this school and this issue has caused wonderful discussions. Representatives from France and Colombia have weighed in and think that the United States, on the whole, is far too conservative with its art. The question is how to respect all factions including the artists making these images,” Harper said.
The judgment of such material is ultimately left up to school administration.
As defined by the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) handbook, students are allowed any form of expression under the first amendment, so long as it does not break any of the four guidelines listed under Chapter 1, Section E of the SR&R handbook. The code clearly states that students do not have the right to display material that is “Obscene as defined in Section 18.2-372 of the Codes of Virginia.” The definition, as provided online by the Virginia Legislative Information System, states that “obscene” material is that which depicts “a shameful or morbid interest in nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, excretory functions or products thereof or sadomasochistic abuse, and which goes substantially beyond customary limits of candor in description or representation of such matters and which, taken as a whole, does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.”
However, before passing judgment on nude artwork, it is important to understand the difference between the terms “naked” and “nude.”
In artwork, “nude” is the preferred term. A painting or photograph of a “naked” man or woman is perceived as having no artistic value and is considered to be created simply to be sexual and borderlines on pornography. “Nudes,” on the other hand, are depicted to capture the beauty, lines and texture of the human form. Nudes capture the wonderful natural aspect of the human body in both good taste and with artistic drive.
“To me, nudity is something beautiful, and something meant to be pleasing to the eye, whereas graphic display, in my opinion, is sexuality for sexuality’s sake,” Photography teacher Meredith Stephens said.
“Art is in the eye of the beholder. Artists have been drawing the human body for years and years. The human body is a beautiful thing and artists have worked, even since the Stone Age, to capture the beauty of the human race,” Randazzo said.
“It is important to draw or paint nudes, because you have to draw them in college and the human body is just such an interesting subject. It’s very natural,” junior IB Art student Allison Warth said.
However, the topic of nude art is very controversial, especially in AHS, due to the great diversity of the student population.
Students in the school, as well as members of the surrounding community and staff, come from all different backgrounds, cultures and upbringings.
As a result, while an artistic nude may be acceptable to one student, the same nude could be taken as a derogatory or obscene display by another. In addition to the great diversity at AHS, there is also a great range of ages of people who are in and around the school.
“Kids from 13 to 21 to adults in their 80s have all come through the halls of AHS at some point, and they will each have their own opinion concerning the artwork. However, one must consider each person’s exposure level to such material,” said Randazzo. “Some people grew up going to art museums and studying classical art, while others grew up with the notion that such work is too graphic to be put on display. Everyone has their opinion, and each opinion must be taken into consideration.”
Librarian Paule Woolsey gave her opinion on the matter, having grown up in France, saying, “The human form is the ultimate piece of art.The problem I see with U.S. culture is that when people look at a nude, the first thing they see is the sexual content in nude form, and unfortunately, that mindset is just rooted in the culture. There is lots of taboo in regards to nudity. In general, Europeans are a bit more liberal in regards to art, but this school, and for that matter, this country, is so diverse, that we have to consider other cultures.”
Finding the happy medium will be the task of the rising senior IB art students when the IB Art show is put on display in April. The show will consist of each artist’s entire portfolio over the previous two years in the class. A handful of students, including Warth and Muller, have focused on the subject of nudes to make up their body of work. When asked how the show will be handled next year, Randazzo replied saying that “The artists must prepare administration for the show. Talk to administration, let them know what you all are doing, and talk to everyone with a concern. So long as there is a complete understanding between the teachers, artists and administration, there should not be any trouble with the show next year.”
The population of AHS is a diverse grouping of rich cultures and backgrounds, all of which have to be taken into consideration when dealing with the age-old matter of censorship and nudity.
Once all possible considerations and consequences have been weighed, it is all a matter of opinion. Regarding art and nudity, the debate will continue.
Video Recap of the 4th Annual STAND Benefit Concert that was held on January 20th, 2012. By the end of the night, $1,175 had been raised for STAND. Made By Troy Callahan, Videographer
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