Art Censorship in Communist China, AND AMERICA

We want one single, grand lie which will be believed by everybody – including the rulers, ideally, but failing that the rest of the city

Today if an average American was asked if he or she believed that censorship was an important part of the perfect state, they would not only answer “no” but they would say that the perfect state must have no form of censorship in order for it’s people to be happy. The average person believes also, that any true philosopher would also believe firmly in the free expression of ideas. However, that is not the perfect republic outlined in Plato’s The Republic.

Though Plato was a champion of rational thought, he made clear statements that popular forms of art and poetry must be interoperated in a way that is in the best interest of the state more specifically its guardians. In book two 380a he says that in the case of a story such as the Trojan war, the poet must say that the events are either not the actions of god, or must say that they are the actions in “more or less the sort of explanation we are looking for at the moment.”

Edward was an environmental assemblage artist, meaning he created environments as a form of art. His Art addressed such issues as Civil Rights, American values, rape, obscenity, and societies neglect for the mentally impaired. One of his environments was entitled Back Seat Dodge’ 38 and was the most blatantly censored piece f materiel created by Kienholz. It was an altered 1939 dodge sedan with a couple in the back seat having sex. The accusations that such a piece was lude and morally subversive may in fact be founded in such a piece, but it was actually a commentary on the generation gap. It was displayed at the LA County Meuseum of Art in Los Angels and the staff simply closed the door of the car, and opened it upon request. (Silk, 276) Another one of Kienholz art pieces that was passionatly disputed was Roxy, a reproduction of a nineteen thirties whore house. Though some critics would call the creation a moral outrage, bugged conversations from Kienholz reveled:

Ten years later, the censorship debate moved from obvious political ties, to decency and what is acceptable for the general public. Plato believed that it was important for the public to learn a separate, digestible truth. As he explains in book three, he wanted certain parts of truth to be excluded from public domain so that it does not affect their judgment and disposition. Edward Kienholz has been described as a “was a profuse, energetic, sometimes brilliant, and sometimes very corny artist” who was a master of creating controversy. (Hughes) Many of his works were so upsetting that they were the subjects of censoring.

Soon the debate departed from being only a local call for an end to modern art in the meuseum of Dallas. It became a nation wide topic appearing to decide the future of art censorship in the United States. A Michigan Republican congressmen Goerge A. Dondero, from who the Lunchoen club was getting their information, found “modern art to be a rich source for communist conspericies.” (Carraro,239) In a speech he made in the House of Representatives titled “Communist Conspiracy in Art Threatens Americans Museums” he said that his mission was to “expose Red infiltration and control in certain artists’ organizations.” (Carraro, 239) The American people feared that the museum had already been overrun by vicious commies. In an article in American Legion, entitled “Art For Who’s Sake” the author says that modern art was “the social ferment that was to produce communism, fascism, and Nazism.” (Carrarro, 244)

Plato wanted the rulers to rule with the state and its citizens in mind, is a call for the censorship of expression actually bad for a community? Is it in fact in the interest of a single group of people to decide what ideas are acceptable, and what ideas are not. Plato failed to mention that happiness is not static, that without change humanity feels unfulfilled, and without expression there is no growth. Controlled expression is not expression at all, but rather, another vehicle of the state. A state is then only a state for states sake, and not for the bettering of the people. Perhaps after all of the pondering Plato did over the perfect state, his Callipolis, he for got the truest nature of the state: not the institution and maintenance of the state, but the citizens of that state.

Traditional Chinese bamboo paintings had been things of grace and elegance, symbolizing the literary elegance of the old scholar elite. But rather than displaying literary elegance and scholarly composure, or even the occasional hint of loneliness, Chens bamboo stalk is squat and bent, its leaves seem to bristle with anger, reflecting Chen’s degraded personal status and social alienation. (Silbergeld, 307)

y no means a state that reflected our contemporary views of freedom of expression. Much like Thomas Moores Utopia, Plato’s state was highly regulated and strictly controlled. Many of his plans for the diff

Some topics in this essay:
Chen Zizhuang, Mao Zedong, Plato Socrates, Theater Silbergeld, Mao Maoist, Plato Aristotle, Li Huasheng, Republic Plato, China United, Kenny Hahn, chen zizhuang, li huasheng, art censorship, silbergeld 307, 307 chen zizhuang, carraro 236, jerome silbergeld, modern art, moral outrage, zedong importance art, socialist china, mao zedong importance, 307 chen, censorship socialist china, silbergeld 307 chen,