Will nobody save the children from those depraved 1920s modernists?
How the exhibition was promoted on the NGV website
Welcome to the latest in a seemingly never ending trail of bizarre complaints to the Advertising Standards Board.
The latest target, the Art Gallery of NSW’s travelling exhibition of German modernism, The Mad Square, and a 1927 portrait by Christian Schad which was displayed on posters outside the National Gallery of Victoria
Or as the complainant puts it:
“I feel it is inappropriate to be displaying a picture of a naked woman breasts exposed in a place that is extremely high profile and frequented by children including possibly those on school trips or with family.”
Happily the ASB ruled: “The Board considered that the content of the advertisement is not inappropriate for the nature of the product being advertised, and considered that whilst the advertisement could be viewed by children the content is very mild.”
It resisted the temptation to add the words: “You idiot.”
ffs.
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That would get me into the gallery, were I in Victoria.
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Well I hope they at least washed their hands. Isn’t that right JB?
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I was lucky enough to see the exhibition when it was at the Gallery of NSW, and I have to say it is upon the “mildest” of works in the exhibition, as well as a great example of what is included. Australians are too hypersensitive to nudity, when the context has to be taken into consideration.
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I’m more disturbed by his fashion sense than her boobs.
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So the complaint is about young children seeing representations of women’s breasts.
Clearly then, all breast-feeding (in public or private) should be banned to ensure there in no outbreak of moral turpitude amongst the kiddies.
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It is just beyond me why nudity is such a big issue in this country. I can vaguely understand why children seeing naked, copulating people may be an issue, but just people naked in general I really don’t. Especially when it is done in such tasteful terms, such as the painting that was subjected to complaint.
What we are really forgetting is that a lot of small children spend a lot of their time in the nude with other naked children. It’s a part of life.
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The majority of children are brought up looking, touching and even suckling on breasts. 50% of them will grow their own before they become adults.
So why do parents become prudes in that brief period between children moving on to solids and puberty?
I am inclined to write a protest to the ASB next time I see a photo of a naked bottle teat in a public place. Imagine the evil thoughts this could raise in the mind of bottle-fed children!
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