Here are some compelling arguments I thought of that are against displaying The Kiss in the BYU Museum of Art:
1) BYU should maintain a high moral standard to prevent problems in the future. If they allow sculptures of nudes one time then they will have to allow them all the time or appear hypocritical. Allowing just some nude statues to be displayed would leave the moral line very ambiguous. So, by not allowing the nude statues to be displayed at all, they make the standard very clear.
2) What is displayed in the BYU Museum of Art becomes representative of the institution as a whole. If nude statues were dispalyed in the museum people might start to have misconceptions about the beliefs, morals, and teachings of the school and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
3) Because the BYU Art Museum is open to the public, and children frequently attend, it is understandable that the administrators at the university would want to censor such things from a younger audience. It is different when college students are studying the art in a historical and artistic context. Allowing all audiences to view it without a structured curriculum would be considered inappropriate.
I thought your defense arguments were very good. I agree that the decision was very precedent setting for BYU. I can see how allowing the piece could have created problems in the future concerning other questionable material. I think there are some ways that these issues could be addressed, such as displaying the history of the piece with the sculpture, and presenting it in a separate room to allow for parental discretion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with points 2 and 3 but the Museum of Art's director Campbell Gray said about the decision not to display "The Kiss" and other statues:
ReplyDelete"Nudity isn't the issue, it's more [lack of dignity]"
I believe there was some nudes displayed in the Rodin Exhibit at BYU.
Brian I think you are definitely right when you said that it would affect the reputation of the Church and all who are involved with it. Since the point of the church is to bring others to the fold and help them to partake of Christ's salvation, it probably would be a bad idea to damage any part of our image. I didn't think about it before but it does set a precedent and once it is set it's hard to rescind. Great Post!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your arguments, even though I had to argue the opposing side. All in all, I think that it was right for Bateman and BYU to decide against showing "The Kiss." Even though today this work of art does not seem so bad, it is important for the University to uphold standards and not creep close to the fine lines against right and wrong - not that the piece is "wrong" - but just that BYU does not want to be known for standing in gray areas, but wants to be known for holding firm in our morals and beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI liked your part about how BYU would look to the world. Hypocritical and they would be expected to allow other questionable material into different aspects of the university. Anti Mormons would constantly be bringing this incident as firing power against the church.
ReplyDeleteI can somewhat understand separating the curriculum for college student from the leisurely activities of children. Children are young, vulnerable, thus, easily manipulated by the outside world. So in that sense I can see what you draw so much concern on children being exposed to what an older crowd chooses to view and can easily distinguish such as art from a something that serves to influence.
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