Alexander Copeman

Dr. Jessica Jacobson-Konefall

ARTH2490
Canadian Contempoary Art.
Response 7

Controversy is not something that ever goes away. It remains as a constant phenomena in any
given society. Controversies dictate what is, or, what is not morally/culturally correct; what
actions or behaviours are to be criminalized. This rings true not only in contemporary Canadian
society, its also evident in Canadian art. Controversies regarding self (or group)
expression/representation, in my eyes, seems to be the most prevalent kind of controversy that
arises in this day and age. For example, Eli Langer, a prominent Canadian artist, came under
scrutiny for a 1993 exhibition at the Mercer Union Gallery in Toronto. The exhibition, consisting
of both drawings and paintings were confiscated by the ‘Morality Bureau;’ of the Metro Toronto
Police after many claimed the exhibition to show pieces of child pornography. Langer was
charged with both creation and distribution of child pornography. In truth, Langer’s work, of
children, adults and depictions of child sexuality and sexual abuse regarded the lives of his
close LGBTQ+ friends, many of which went through unspeakable things as children which
Langer wanted to portray. He called the works “intimate and sad”, and with a quick search one
can tell this is the case. Representation for queer identities: their struggles, lives, despairs,
hopes and dreams. is incredibly important. Even more so at this time, around the peak of the
AIDS crisis. Representation through group or self expression allows those who go through
similar situations to feel validated, comforted, hopeful, and most importantly, it makes them feel
like they have been seen.
In regards to Eli Langer’s arrest and subsequent confiscation of his artworks, the law
surrounding child pornography stated that pedophiles and convicted sexual offenders have
found work around to their ‘need’ to document or share their perversities, and in the past have
used media like, photo, video, drawing, montage or collage to do so. The censorship of not just
Langer’s work, but presumably many others, is based on a puritanical Canadian culture, with an
emerging sexual purity from the majority Catholic/Protestant cultures across the country. Of
course it is incredibly important to secure real, truthful child pornography, and apprehend the
individuals involved in its creation, rather than censoring artwork that deals with the lives and
trauma of individuals that, more often than not, do not get the chance to tell their stories
themselves.