DC-based artist, Cory Oberndorfer, recently presented his mural “Bitter/Sweet” in Katzen Arts Center. However, his mural was not presented without some administrative backlash.
The mural is a collection of colorful hearts on a grey-blue background with seemingly chemical bonds connecting each heart. These hearts contain phrases which Oberndorfer collected via public survey. And since the public says things like “I don’t fucking care,” such a phrase was featured in pink writing over a yellow heart.
Last week, Oberndorfer had to make a tough decision when AU administration wasn’t having the profane language featured in the arts center. He was forced to either take the mural down altogether, or censor the word. He chose the latter.
As an artist and a writer, I am deeply concerned with the decision that AU has made in censoring Oberndorfer’s art. Art that offends is offensive for a reason.
When a new edition of Huckleberry Finn, the American classic by Mark Twain, was released in 2011, the n-word was replaced for words such as “slave” and “Indian,” changing the entire meaning of the book. The fact of the matter is that the n-word carries a highly offensive history, but that history is very real and worthy of our attention. When American Apparel released a t-shirt depicting a drawing of a woman masturbating on her period, they were met with disgust and anger by the public. But at the end of the day, women masturbate, women get their period, and many women masturbate while on their period.
The true hypocrisy behind this instance of art censorship is that American University Bender Library celebrates Banned Books Week every year with events and readings that remind us why these banned pieces of literature are important, not only to literature, but to history and our country’s values. Banned Books Week isn’t just about Harry Potter and the Bible. It’s about highly offensive material like American Psycho – a book which caused serious public discomfort. It’s about books that make us uncomfortable and truths that we don’t want to face. Banned Books Week is about freedom of speech which, by hosting every year with events and readings, AU shows they value.
When art is censored, it’s done so because it has revealed a truth that has made someone highly uncomfortable. However, these truths are what give art their meaning. Artists make careful decisions in their pieces, especially when dealing with something they know will offend someone. However, when these offensive decisions are made, they are made with purpose by the artist. They are made because there’s an important message or meaning behind such a decision.
Art isn’t here to make us comfortable, and we have to understand that public comfort isn’t the most important thing to preserve in cases like this.
By censoring Oberndorfer’s art piece, American University has chosen to take away a piece of freedom of speech – which I personally find to be a little f***ing ridiculous.
All opinions presented in this article are that of the author and do not necessarily represent the beliefs of Her Campus Media or Her Campus American.
Photo credit: Washington City Paper, Eleanor Greene