Williams 1

Jamard Williams

Mrs. Benita Reed

ENGL-1301-40027

17 November 2023

Argument essay: Art Censorship

Art Censorship It can be argued that “Art should offend people because art should challenge

people” (salle). When it comes to art, artists will strive to express a strong message of triumph, fear, and

hope. Art is a tool to be used to share thoughts and morality examination with others. Sarah McLaughlin

“On January 27, 2023, had entered an exhibition by Iranian American artist Taravat Talepasand that

opened in Macalester College's Law Warsaw gallery”; she used her art to express her morality question

about women in the Muslim culture by showing her thoughts and fear of how women currently stand in

Muslim society. Those of the Muslim backgrounds found her art ‘’offensive’’ to them and their culture

and expressed outrage and desire for its emitted removal. Her art comments on the thought of change in a

woman’s role, and how they are treated in Muslim culture but was perceived as an offensive attack of the

culture viwers chose to dispute the purpose and message of the art because there were those who did not

care for what the art had to say. There are those who would argue that art should be censored but in doing

so completely neglecting the message of the artist. Art censorship is driven from missed cauterization,

unfair biases, and failure to comprehend.

How would one classify art as harmful and offensive? What about the art that triggered that

response? Is the imagery or is it the message in the art influencing what an individual can find to be

unacceptable? "Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable," said the Mexican poet and

academic Cesar A. (Cruz). Art is as complex as the people who create it, not some black-and-white

subject that one can say is right or wrong. As multifaceted as people are, the same can be said about the

art that people create. Some art viewers of the art who hastily conclude art without first trying to

understand it. Some viewers come to quickly label an art piece harmful without understanding what it is
 Williams 2

about the art that they perceive as dangerous. At most all it would take for someone to dislike an artwork

is a single thing they found disagreeable. Leading to a slur of unfair and biased opinions

Some may express disagreement with “Art that is constantly [depicting] harsh visuals are

degrading and shows no true attention to delivering a message but to just disturb viewers failing to realize

the use of strong imagery to leave a long-lasting impact of the art onto its viewers” (Grace). The history

of artists has always portrayed a strong use of impactful imagery, never fearing to be as graphic as

possible to use that shock and awe factor to grip their viewers’ attention. Stronger and more vivid images

have always been an aspect of art that leaves long-lasting thoughts of an artist's art. People while

traversing the art world are bound to come across many diverse types of art and not all they may come

across will be to their liking. There will never come a day when everyone will come across art that does

not have some distrainable aspect.

People will always argue that there is art that crasses the line in doning so upsets and infuriates

it viwers (Smith). In most cases when it comes to art, we find unappealing it is less about the art itself

and more towards the message art is trying to convey. We as people are quick to disagree and that tends

to shine through there most of the time in heated debates. Also, there are more than just a few debates in

Once coming into view with the mothers sharing their stories about the loved ones they lost, it was their

sons, broth the art world. Within these heated debates, we can easily blur the line of opinion by

completely losing the message of what the artist implies to the viwers through their artwork.

Overall, “Art should offend people because art should challenge people” (salle). Art may come

across as vaguer to those who may not understand it but for those who do it is a message of triumph, fear,

and hope.
 Williams 3

Works Cited

“Dr. César A. Cruz- Brief Biography.” Scholar.harvard.edu, scholar.harvard.edu/cesarcruz/biocv.

Camp, Emma. “After Muslim Students Complained That an Art Exhibit Was ‘Harmful,’ Macalester

College Shut It Down.” Reason.com, 9 Feb. 2023, reason.com/2023/02/09/after-muslim-students-

complained-that-an-art-exhibit-washarmful-macalester-college-shut-it-down/.

"Eriq La Salle Quotes." BrainyQuote.com. BrainyMedia Inc, 2023. 15 November 2023.

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/eriq_la_salle_352172

Network, The Learning. “What Should Be Done with Art That Offends? Students Debate.” The New

York Times, 9 Mar. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/learning/what-should-bedone-with-art-

that-offends-students-debate.html.

Smith, Roberta. “Should Art That Infuriates Be Removed?” The New York Times, 27 Mar. 2017,

www.nytimes.com/2017/03/27/arts/design/emmett-till-whitney-biennial-schutz.html