Provocative Art Panel
Oh, I so wanted to refer to Franklin Bruno's song "Panel," but I couldn't track down the lyrics. However, tomorrow night you'll be able to track me down at Harvard University, where I will be sitting in on a panel discussion focusing on provocative and controversial art as part of Harvard's Freshmen Arts Program. Other panelists include Sarah Hutt, director of technical assistance for visual art from the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs. I'll be weighing in on the work -- and court experiences -- of Mike Diana, whose Boiled Angel comic came under fire in an obscenity case in Florida and who now is legally limited in what he can draw and publish. During the 1994 court case, I ran a Web site that documented the proceedings. My interest in the case -- and Diana's work -- is rooted in the balance between freedom of speech and art of questionable merit that is elevated because of controversy... perhaps at the expense of the overall arts community. There are some interesting parallels between Diana's experiences and those of Danny Hellman, who's now involved in a libel case with Ted Rall. Should be an interesting evening.