Andres Serrano is an artist from New York and he studied at the Brooklyn Museum and Art School. From what I’ve found his works have ranged from simple portrait photos, to more controversial pieces, the latter obviously being the target of these hate crimes. One of Serrano’s more recognizable pieces is titled “Piss Christ.” It is an image of a crucifix in a container of urine. Hopefully that gives you some insight to why his pieces might be considered controversial.

An image of “Piss Christ” from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piss_Christ

            Pieces that were attacked at the gallery were part of the exhibit “History of Sex.” These images weren’t pornography. They were graphic sex acts that included a woman masturbating a horse. Though these images seem very racy, that doesn’t mean someone can go out and destroy someone’s work. Freedom can be a very taboo thing in today’s society. We have all these freedoms supposedly, but once someone actually uses these freedoms outside the norm of which they are used people freak out. We put limits on what we say we are free to do. Serrano could have just as easily put a tennis ball in the urine or just put the crucifix in somewhat instead, but he didn’t. These simple objects hold more than just face value to people and that is where the controversy begins. By taking objects that people have passionate associations with he is upsetting people and that is why there are groups going in and destroying his works.

            Serrano stepped outside of the bounds of society’s conventions and people are being offended. They’re saying that because you have gone against my beliefs you shouldn’t have that freedom anymore. People considered art to be beautiful when it is of something they personally believe is a representation of beauty, but because Serrano’s images are of things people consider ugly or offensive they feel that gives right to take his freedom of expression away from him.

            This is a very tough subject to write about for me because I truly believe that art shouldn’t have constraints. If you don’t like a piece, no one is forcing you to look at it. If it is created out of pure expression either appreciate it or at least analyze, but don’t just write it off or try to destroy it. Serrano’s works are amazing to me because he is doing something everyone else is afraid to. He is exploring beyond what the masses consider to be art and finding new ways of expression. To me, that is what freedom is all about. Just because you are offended or shocked or appalled by his images gives you no right to try and take it away from him. Art is worthless if it is just the same as everything else.

            Today’s Hip Hop and rap culture is reaching the teenage and young adults of our generation. They idolize this culture of rims, women, drugs, and money because that is what these “rappers” idolize. Naturally if rappers dress with their pants halfway down their ass, the listeners are going to want to dress in the same fashion. Now the older generation have a problem with this because they don’t understand it, they don’t enjoy the music, they don’t know the names, so there is no way they’d appreciate the style.

            Now I’m not one to expose my boxers in public, in fact I think it is the most ridicules fashion statements today, but I’m would never even go so far as to say, “We need a law for this.” if people want to look stupid in public, that’s their own business. I’ve been reading several different media sources to find general opinions on the subjects and I think I’ve got a grasped on the feelings towards the issue. Old rich people think it is so disgraceful that we need a law to prevent it, and at the other end are the people with the sagging pants who of course love it. In newspapers written by people who don’t know anything about the rap culture of today are for the law. Small blogs on the web written by listeners preach out against freedom of expression and how they should be able to wear what they want to wear. The issue is imbedded in the generation gap, parents of today’s youth can’t understand why their children dress the way they do, but what parents don’t realize that this is probably the same argument their parents had with them over leather jackets, mini-skirts, or boys with long hair (depending on the age of the parent). This is just something that happens over time, in this case it just seems a little more raunchy because undergarments have always been a little bit more taboo.

            The point is this is a very stupid issue and a waste of our tax dollars if police are intending on enforcing this and all the other services that eat up our money into putting this law together. Having long hair myself and being male, if you intend on living outside the social standards that have been set by previous generations you are going to face adversities, that’s just how it is. People aren’t mature enough to realize that fads change outside of what they consider normal, so just worry about yourself, Okay.