Saturday, August 6, 2011

Further Comment on the Censorship Issue

I asked Bruce Stewart to take a look at my postings about censorship of his art and asked for his comments. Here's his response:

I feel that in this situation everyone involved did their work well.

I made a piece that provoked, challenged and was truly hot button. This on the heels or Norway and Australia.

A certain individual was concerned enough to call the police. They checked me out and determined that I was not a threat - nor was my object of art. There were no threats, bullying or censorship issues on their part, none at all. Frankly, I can sleep better knowing that someone actually cares enough to watch all our backs.

The only reason it was not in the show was because I pulled it.

Why: because if anyone at that opening had called the police concerning the thing - a Tac. Unit and the Bomb Squad would have turned up. These are not gentle people.

The Gallery and the block it is situated on would have been evacuated, and very possibly a water cannon would have been brought into play to disarm the device. IN the gallery.

So considering that,  I would of course pull the thing.  I am not going to jeopardize The Gallery, The Art in it or the people attending the opening, for the sake of one bit of my work.

That is the end of the story.

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