Art has always been subjected to relentless censorship for as long as it’s existed. Sure, we had the ages of artistic nudity, with the old masters of art depicting beautifully sculpted human bodies in their works. However, despite the idea of artistic nudity with the human body being around for a long time, we still today are struggling with this facet.
I’m sure some of you remember a few years ago when down in Florida, a school was bombarded with hate from parents after a photo of Michelangelo’s David was shown in art class while the students were being taught about the Renaissance. The art and photo itself was described by the parents as a photographic nude, eventually resulting in the principal of the school resigning over the issue.
I ask this though – what is so ‘pornographic’ about the human body? This clearly isn’t a recent issue, though it has arisen again due to the current political administration. When the painting titled Olympia by Édouard Manet was first made back in 1863, it was considered utterly vile due to the fact that people saw her, the woman painted, as being dirty, a prostitute, having unrealistic womanly proportions, and looking back at the viewer. Even back then, nude bodies outside highly artistic representations (i.e. being depicted more realistically) were scoffed at and considered trash.
What is so pornographic about the human body and nudity in a non-sexual depiction? The short answer in truth is nothing – however, culture has made it seem so. Of course our more private parts can be used or seen in sexual acts, but they serve other purposes. The male penis isn’t just for sex, it’s also used to urinate from. The female breasts aren’t for sexual gratification though pornography and the modern media would make you think that; they’re first and foremost mammalian organs used to feed milk to babies.
In America and even some of the rest of the world right now, nudity is being censored, regardless of the intention and meaning behind it. Men posting workouts to Instagram are having their posts flagged and taken down, women can’t post anything where any bit of cleavage is shown without their posts getting taken down. What is our culture’s obsession with the nude body?
Are they truly trying to protect the kids as they say, or are they trying to lie to themselves? Do those in charge get aroused when seeing a woman in public breastfeeding her child? Do they find themselves excited at the thought of going to the gym to see men work out? Do they find themselves attracted to the statue of David?
I don’t know about any other person, but as a child I didn’t view my body sexually. My body was my body, but it was only when we all started to get exposed to the internet and the ideas adults put into media that any of my peers began to view our natural bodies as sexual. Are our natural bodies truly so sexual that we cannot even display art of them nude?
I don’t think this is an issue of children finding this art sexual, but those whose minds have been warped so much to see it that way. By the way, I redrew both David and Olympia for those who think they’re too much the way they are. Is that good enough for you – for them now? Or will it ever be enough? I don’t know.
A caricature of Michelangelo’s David, censored as the media would wish.
All art featured in this article was made by Anna Stevens, the author of this article.
