Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment Controversy

Paper details

Choose one of the cases below and present both the public and the artistic arguments in clear, unbiased language. Assume that the arguments on both sides have validity: DO NOT ARGUE A POSITION. You’re explaining what happened with critical distance rather than writing an opinion. !
1. Research and explain what happened in the controversy—who, what, where, when, how, why; explain how public expectations and artistic expectations have taken different paths. !
2. Conclude your paper—1/2 to one page— with a well-reasoned hypothesis/opinion that explains how the controversy could have been avoided OR how the controversy was necessary to bring clarity to an issue that needed to come to light. !
!Citation and Bibliographic Requirements: at least 5 sources must be cited in the paper; bibliography must include at least 8. Cited sources are those you quoted or paraphrased. A bibliography includes the cited sources as well as those that were read or reviewed but not cited. !
!Community standards: photography, pornography, or political gain?!
“Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment.” December 9, 1988 to January 29, 1989, initially at the Philadelphia Institute of Contemporary Art; traveling to Cincinnati and Washington, D.C. An exhibit
of three portfolios of the artist’s works funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); the exhibition became controversial when it went to Cincinnati, resulting in the arrest of Curator Dennis Barrie, and its cancellation by its scheduled next venue, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.!
Key Figures/Artworks: “X” and “Y” Portfolios, Robert Mapplethorpe; “Art Emergency Day” – August
?26th 1989; Senator Jesse Helms (North Carolina); Senator Alphonse D’Amato (NY); Pat Robertson; Oliver North; The Cincinnati Citizens for Community Values; Andres Serrano, Piss Christ (1989?); The Corcoran Gallery!
!Suggested start for bibliography: !
R!ichard Marshall, et al. Robert Mapplethorpe. New York: Whitney Museum of Art (1992)

Choose one of the cases below and present both the public and the artistic arguments in clear, unbiased
language. Assume that the arguments on both sides have validity: DO NOT ARGUE A POSITION. You’re
explaining what happened with critical distance rather than writing an opinion. !
1. Research and explain what happened in the controversy—who, what, where, when, how, why; explain
how public expectations and artistic expectations have taken different paths. !
2. Conclude your paper—1/2 to one page— with a well-reasoned hypothesis/opinion that explains how the
controversy could have been avoided OR how the controversy was necessary to bring clarity to an issue
that needed to come to light. !
!
Citation and Bibliographic Requirements: at least 5 sources must be cited in the paper; bibliography must
include at least 8. Cited sources are those you quoted or paraphrased. A bibliography includes the cited
sources as well as those that were read or reviewed but not cited. !
!
Community standards: photography, pornography, or political gain?!
“Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment.” December 9, 1988 to January 29, 1989, initially at the
Philadelphia Institute of Contemporary Art; traveling to Cincinnati and Washington, D.C. An exhibit
of three portfolios of the artist’s works funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA); the exhibition became controversial when it went to Cincinnati, resulting in the arrest of
Curator Dennis Barrie, and its cancellation by its scheduled next venue, the Corcoran Gallery in
Washington, D.C.!
Key Figures/Artworks:“X” and “Y” Portfolios, Robert Mapplethorpe; “Art Emergency Day” – August
26
th
1989; Senator Jesse Helms (North Carolina); Senator Alphonse D’Amato (NY); Pat Robertson;
Oliver North; The Cincinnati Citizens for Community Values; Andres Serrano, Piss Christ (1989?);
The Corcoran Gallery!
!
Suggested start for bibliography: !
Richard Marshall, et al. Robert Mapplethorpe. New York: Whitney Museum of Art (1992) !
!
Choose one of the cases below and present both the public and the artistic arguments in clear, unbiased
language. Assume that the arguments on both sides have validity: DO NOT ARGUE A POSITION. You’re
explaining what happened with critical distance rather than writing an opinion. !
1. Research and explain what happened in the controversy—who, what, where, when, how, why; explain
how public expectations and artistic expectations have taken different paths. !
2. Conclude your paper—1/2 to one page— with a well-reasoned hypothesis/opinion that explains how the
controversy could have been avoided OR how the controversy was necessary to bring clarity to an issue
that needed to come to light. !
!
Citation and Bibliographic Requirements: at least 5 sources must be cited in the paper; bibliography must
include at least 8. Cited sources are those you quoted or paraphrased. A bibliography includes the cited
sources as well as those that were read or reviewed but not cited. !
!
Community standards: photography, pornography, or political gain?!
“Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment.” December 9, 1988 to January 29, 1989, initially at the
Philadelphia Institute of Contemporary Art; traveling to Cincinnati and Washington, D.C. An exhibit
of three portfolios of the artist’s works funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA); the exhibition became controversial when it went to Cincinnati, resulting in the arrest of
Curator Dennis Barrie, and its cancellation by its scheduled next venue, the Corcoran Gallery in
Washington, D.C.!
Key Figures/Artworks:“X” and “Y” Portfolios, Robert Mapplethorpe; “Art Emergency Day” – August
26
th
1989; Senator Jesse Helms (North Carolina); Senator Alphonse D’Amato (NY); Pat Robertson;
Oliver North; The Cincinnati Citizens for Community Values; Andres Serrano, Piss Christ (1989?);
The Corcoran Gallery!
!
Suggested start for bibliography: !
Richard Marshall, et al. Robert Mapplethorpe. New York: Whitney Museum of Art (1992) !
!