Choosing art instead of stuffiness

The Newark Public Library in New Jersey isn’t usually a source of much excitement. That is, unless you count heated arguments about artistic censorship.

In December, the library decided to hang a piece of artwork by Kara Walker — a renowned black artist who focuses on elements of race, gender and sexuality.

This particular piece focuses on the tribulations of Reconstruction-era racism and 20th-century Jim Crowism.

The piece is titled “The moral arc of history ideally bends towards justice but just as soon as not curves back around toward barbarism, sadism, and unrestrained chaos” and is just as depressing as it sounds.

The sketch caused controversy because people noticed there is a white man forcing a black woman to perform fellatio on him in the right-hand corner of the work.

Sounds pretty awful, but let’s clarify that we see no genitals — just an angry face and an exposed back.

Apparently we ignored the fact that it also shows a plethora of Klansmen, a burning cross and a lot of general anguish. Implied oral sex is much worse.

The library decided to cover the work with a giant zebra-print cloth (which is not only tacky but also seems a little racist based on what it’s covering) last month to quell some of the controversy and the unease its staff was beginning to feel.

Luckily, just a few days ago, Newark Library decided to take the covering down and let the oral sex out for the world to see.

This might seem like a trivial thing to write about. Who cares about a library all the way over in New Jersey? But this is bigger than that.

Newark Public Library’s decision is not only a victory for Walker, but for the nation.
So much of our nation’s art and culture is viewed and spit up instantly. The general public usually views pieces as just kind of “nice” or shock art for no reason. We are rarely challenged by art.

The people in Newark were shocked. Although, they had a moment of weakness, prevailed for the sake of art and the basic desire to create. I readily admit that sounds dramatic, but it’s true.

One of the arguments attached to the work was that it should be hung in a museum as opposed to a library. Because in museums you can expect to go appreciate art. However, the library’s ultimate decision to keep the work also speaks to this
issue.

In its choice, Newark Library showed us that we don’t just have to keep challenging, moving art in a museum where you have to pay too much or wait for the next field trip to go see it.

Newark made art for the people and helped to take away a stigma of stuffiness or air of overly hipster that’s often associated with viewing challenging and controversial works.
Thanks to Newark, we have an example of real art hanging for real people to see.

­— sjostrow@indiana.edu