A while ago, we interviewed Parsons MFA student, Freddie (read our interview here). Since then, Freddie has been creating art and working on projects of his own. But Freddie’s latest work has been a topic of controversy among The New School’s art community and the administration.
Student curators recently reached out to Freddie to showcase his work at a Eugene Lang College for Liberal Arts exhibit.
“As the show centers around themes of body, nationhood, and labor, we think your photographed performances (the comic-style square prints) are particularly relevant,” the email read.
Freddie agreed and offered his work to be installed at the show. His pieces (shown below) were put on display, but taken down shortly thereafter.
The display today:
The student curator (whose name has been redacted) reached out to Freddie and notified him that his artwork has been removed from display due to student complaints.
“Due to complaints received by students within the last few days, my professor has decided to remove the two comic images we installed this weekend. [We are] extremely disappointed to see the images go, and have a few ideas for alternatives that the school will allow us to pursue,” the email read.
Freddie was not warned, nor was he notified of the received complaints. A professor simply removed the art, without reaching out to Freddie to explain the complaints or allowing him a chance to defend himself.
Essentially, a professor acted on Freddie’s behalf, and there was nothing he could do about it.
This brings up issues of freedom of speech, artistic self-expression, and the nature of teacher-student relationships. Even thought Freddie’s work wasn’t in violation of New School policies (to our known knowledge), it was removed from display.
Art is meant to be controversial. Art is meant to be unique and intriguing. Some even say the riskier, the better. And that is usually the case at Parsons. Students are encouraged to dare, defy, and push the boundaries. But, when they do, they run the risk of being pulled from shows and exhibits.
So, the question here isn’t whether Freddie – a veteran – went too far with his military-inspired art. While the work itself might be enough to spark a debate among some, the more important issue is, shouldn’t he – at least – be allowed to defend himself? Or, was the professor right in making this abrupt decision?
Where do we draw the line?
In response to those who were offended by the pieces, Freddie has this to say:
“I can’t even address what was at issue since no one had reached out to me. I wasn’t trying to create works that were shocking, offensive or controversial. Instead I was attempting to express questions about identity – my own – and the conflicts those entail. At first I was honored to be in the show, but now I am both disappointed and angry that my artwork, which is informed by my having to hide who I was while in the military, is now being censored. It’s ironic. I didn’t think The New School was that sort of environment.”
What are your thoughts? Let us know.
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