Censorship and arts Flashcards
Local examples of art being seen as vandalism by the state
Samantha Lo- the so called ‘Sticker Lady’ was arrested for sticking messages on traffic signal buttons, including ‘Press to Time Travel’ or ‘Press to Stop Time’, as well as painting messages on roads reading ‘My Grandfather Road’ - a Singaporean pun on bad driving. The Government had the view that Samantha’s work is a form of vandalism which destroys public property.
Similarly, the ‘golden staircase’ in a Housing Board block in Jalan Besar by Ms Priyageetha was accused of vandalism instead of being a work of art.
George washington mural which is racially controversial
In America last year, a San Francisco school district voted to remove murals which depict George Washington’s slaves and violence against Native Americans at George Washington High School. In August, the school board voted to conceal the murals, which were created in fresco by Russian-American social realist painter Victor Arnautoff.
Persecution of Kenyan Hip Hop rapper
The Kenyan hip-hop rapper and LGBTQ+ activist, Grace Munene, faced discrimination and violent abuse from the police as well as local gangs. After performing in public with songs like ‘Our Love is Valid’, in which she openly celebrates love for her same sex partner, she was made a target in her country which is notoriously difficult for LGBTQ+.
Persecution of The Peacock Generation
In Myanmar, five members of performance group, The Peacock Generation, were given one-year prison sentences after they were charged with producing “thangyat”, a traditional ensemble show that blends poetry and dancing with satire. The form has been used to mock the country’s leaders since the 19th century.
Withdrawal of state funding
In 2011, theatre company Wild Rice had its funding under the National Arts Council (NAC) Major Grant Scheme slashed due to its Singapore Theatre Festival, known for its plays with a tongue-in-cheek take on political themes.
Withdrawal of state funding- inadvertently promoted art
In 2015, the NAC withdrew an $8,000 grant for artist Sonny Liew’s satirical graphic novel The Art Of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, because its content ‘potentially undermines the authority or legitimacy’ of the government. The public attention garnered by the grant withdrawal worked in the book’s favour- it went on to become a bestseller.
How the threat of censorship may lead to artists being more creative with their works of art so as to keep within the boundaries and avoid being censored.
Singapore theatre company Pangdemonium, produced their first commissioned play Tango, which dealt with gay themes. Tracie Pang, the co-founder of Pangdemonium said that government restrictions can have positive consequences for art – if artists are “box clever” enough. She asserts that while the restrictions make it harder to produce the play Tango, they help her team to put forth the same messages of the play in a different way, making the play ‘intellectually more stimulating’- by not dictating or presenting specific points of view but inspiring people to reflect on their own families, and their attitudes about others’ needs and rights.
censorship of art quote
“Art made tongue-tied by authority”- a line from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 66 talks about the oppressive government in Shakspeare’s society and its censorship of the arts.
