It just keeps getting better and better – the ripple effect of the Weinstein affair is touching more and more cultural events.
This pre-Raphaelite painting Hylas And The Nymphs was painted by John William Waterhouse in 1896. Until a few days ago it was on show at the Manchester Art Gallery. Now all that remains in it’s place is a small card apologising for it’s absence and « it’s hoped the absence will “prompt conversations” instead.
Why? Well following on from the rape allegations surrounding pretty much every able-bodied male in America, groups are popping-up everywhere with improbable hashtags like #metoo (#balancetonporc in France) etc. and criticising anything and everything with the slightest gender signification.
The painting above has been slammed (by certain minority groups) as being fundamentally pedophile. Where do these idiots get this rubbish? Courbets 1866 masterpiece « Les Origines du Monde » has also been attacked – even to the point of being censored on Facebook.
The situation is extremely worrying – people are not allowed to judge for themselves anymore – someone somewhere has to make up everybody’s minds for them. I can fully understand violent or degrading images should be treated carefully, but in more and more cases, these images are left available « the public has a right to know » while true works of art are damned by ignorant sycophants who are just searching for another (lost) cause to latch on to and criticise.
It makes me cross because this is fast becoming the norm, and for a visual artist such as myself, this is really the thin end of the wedge. It has to stop, but even more sadly, to criticise the critics only leaves one wide open to censorship or worse…I fear this is not over by a long shot.