A nude female sculpture — in a park — in Queensland — Oh, the humanity!
This sculpture by artist Antone Bruinsma (also from QLD) was removed from a park on Bribie Island on Wednesday because it was ‘not council’s job to deliberately go out and offend people.’ Yah…
Moreton Bay Regional Council mayor Allan Sutherland said the sculpture was even more “offensive” after being coloured in pink by vandals.
“The problem is that it, the sculpture, was probably borderline OK before it was vandalised,” he said. – News.com.au
God, the Italians must get sick of visiting Queenslanders.
Mi scusi! Where is the complaints box?
If anyone should be offended by this, it should be because the council considers the vagina offensive, not because the sculpture displays one.
4 comments
Melbourne City Council to pre-approve artwork, keep sex mild - Somebody Think Of The Children says:
Aug 27, 2008
[...] I was thinking Queensland was going to be the only State to flex its censorship muscles this month, but now Victoria has entered the [...]
Robert Mileham says:
Sep 27, 2008
I thought you were pretty broad minded down under, but obviously I was wrong. The line should be drawn somewhere, but in no way could this be offensive or even borderline. For the very sheltered it might even be ‘educational’!
Oddly enough, I find the errors in Michelangelo’s so called David more offensive for lots of other reasons.
Vandalism is a hazard you will always have to deal with swiftly and without moaning too much. To remove the work for that reason is giving into the perpetrators.
I tried hard to bring the world’s attention to the talent of Australian Sculptors in Figure works, but it has been difficult to do it justice as so few of you ever answer your email or comments!
Good Day, from a Pom!
Australia’s 20 Worst Cases of Censorship and Moral Outrage in 2008 - Somebody Think Of The Children says:
Dec 28, 2008
[...] You can’t put a vagina on a female sculpture At least not in Queensland. A nude female sculpture (with a vagina ) at a beach side parkin Bribie Island had Moreton Bay Regional Council mayor Allan [...]
Kenn Schneider says:
Nov 4, 2009
I’m confused about what makes the female form so frightening to some. Are they openly admitting that a woman’s body is nothing more than a sexual object? Is there no respect for the beauty, purity, nobility and grace that women represent? Is a nude figure, a human form realistically represented, inherently dirty, or are the detractors expressing their wish to repress the idea that the human form does exist beyond sexuality? How do we know the weak puritan minded people weren’t responsible for the vandalism just to get their way? If the female form can’t be tolerated in art, then when and where will it ever be? What does the censor’s condemnation of it say to women about their bodies? Not a healthy comment, I’m sure.