After the seizure of the photos of Sally Mann from an art exhibition in Texas in January, the museums of the state may be confronted with New Republican-guided account.
The proposed civil fine will seize months since the police of Fort Worth took photos of Mann that were shown in the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth after conservative officials and organizations had been made unfounded porn allegations. The new account was introduced in the state legislator last month by Texas District 91 representative David Lowe, who became a member of a cacophony From conservative figures in December to claim that Mann’s photos of her children were “exploitation” and “normalize[d] … the breakdown of the definition of family ordinated by God. “
Although no costs have been established in Mann’s case, museums can be confronted with penalties up to $ 500,000 for each work of art that they show that “certain obscene or harmful material” contains when the bill passes. According to the proposed legislation, the State can also attract charges for these works of art every day.
If signed by Governor Greg Abbott, the measure could be determined on 1 September. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas, warn that the proposed legislation is intended to intimidate artists and curators and suppress the free expression.
“No state legislator has said the authority to criminalize or prohibit the expression that is fully protected by the first amendment,” said Elizabeth Larison, the director of the Arts and Culture Advocacy Program at the National Coalition Against Censorship, Hyperallergic.
Last week a large jury of Tarrant County decided not to accuse employees of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth for exhibiting the photos of Mann in the Group Show Diaries from hometold a spokesperson for a public prosecutor by Tarrant County against Hyperallergic.
Diaries from homeWith 13 other artists, open last November. The following month, the right -wing news site Dallas Express A report published after a resident said that the exhibition contained “Naked Children and LGBTQ+ content”.
Lowe, the Dallas Express In December he would eliminate Mazen with which “predators could abuse the empire of art to show child nakes” in the next legislative session.
Lowe told in a statement Hyperallergic That the exhibition of the photos of Mann and the subsequent media attention encouraged his introduction of the bill. “This legislation is a crucial step to protect the well -being of our children,” said Lowe.
Civil servants grabbed four of the portraits of Mann – including “Icelolly drips“(1985),” The Wet Bed “(1987) and” The Perfect Tomato ” – From the walls of the museum in January in a movement of the ACLU of Texas described as “unconstitutional censorship.” Although they include nakedness, the images are not sexual and they are published on a large scale on the websites of large art institutions. “Popsicle drops” shows the sexual organs of a young boy, while “the wet bed” and “the perfect tomato” the daughters of Mann of sleeping and jumping respectively. Mann has defended her work.
“All too often, nakedness, even that of children, since sexuality and images are thought for actions,” Mann wrote in a 2015 essay.
The attorney -general of Texas denied Hyperallergic’s Open record application for the police report that led to the removal of Mann’s works, with reference to confidential information regarding “a report of alleged or suspected abuse or neglect.”
After the decision of the Great Jury not to pursue any charges in connection with the exhibition of Mann, the works are said to be sent back to the museum, although the exhibition ended on 2 February.
“This bill threatens our constitutionally protected right to artistic expression in Texas,” said ACLU of Texas Chloe Kempf’s staff lawyer in a statement shared with Hyperallergic. “The people in Texas, not government officials, must have the freedom to decide what art forms we want to view and support.”
“As we have recently seen with the attempted censorship of Sally Mann, legislation such as these artists and curators tries to intimidate through unfounded investigations into and punishes against our artistic communities,” Kempf said.
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Mann and the Fort Worth Police Department have not yet responded Hyperallergic’s Requests for comments.
