R. Crumb stirring things up over at UR
Artist and illustrator R. Crumb has caused quite the controversy over at the University of Richmond. Crumb (who latest work was reviewed over here) recently stopped by the Carpenter Theatre for a UR/VCU sponsored event in which he discussed his newest book and his work as a whole. Crumb’s work is also currently being exhibited […]
Artist and illustrator R. Crumb has caused quite the controversy over at the University of Richmond.
Crumb (who latest work was reviewed over here) recently stopped by the Carpenter Theatre for a UR/VCU sponsored event in which he discussed his newest book and his work as a whole. Crumb’s work is also currently being exhibited at UR’s Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art.
Crumb’s lecture and exhibit prompted a big response from the UR community, specifically concerning his 1989 book “My Troubles with Women,” featuring sometimes violent sexual encounters and sexual fantasies. The Collegian, UR’s on-campus newspaper, recently published a few letters sent in by concerned students:
The Collegian is also reporting that Andrew Newcomb, dean of the school of arts and sciences, sent out a campus-wide email yesterday stating that while Crumb’s appearance was sponsored by the University, they do not condone its content.
Apparently one of the biggest issues for the University community is that some students were required attend the R. Crumb event last week. Meanwhile, Betram Ashe, associate professor of English and American studies, assigned “My Troubles with Women” a documentary on Crumb, to his students in a course he teaches entitled “American Misfit: Geek Literature and Culture.”
Go here to read the full story.
The whole controversy raises some interesting question that the UR community (and everyone, I suppose) needs to address:
- Just because a work is deemed controversial or offensive, does that mean it is shouldn’t be seen or studied?
- What place do/should controversial artists like Crumb have in the art world?
- This one comes from one of the letters sent in by a student: ““What are the bounds of academic freedom? Is it really permissible for any professor to include anything he or she desires in any class?”
Discuss here or over there. Just discuss.
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Valerie Catrow
Valerie Catrow is editor of RVAFamily, mother to a mop-topped first grader, and always really excited to go to bed.
Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
Seems to me like the entire art world is based on the controversial?
College should be about expanding your understanding of the world by confronting viewpoints you may not necessarily agree with. It’s called growing up and entering the real world. Any use of Crumbs work in classroom settings should invite a critical discussion on the topics and depictions, otherwise you’re not really studying anything.
Along similar lines of being confronted with opposing and sometimes offensive viewpoints, some VCU students are upset with Christian protesters who utilize one of the school’s few “free speech zones” to push their views of who all is going to hell or not. Instead of engaging in debate or utilizing similar tactics to spread their thoughts, some students want to BAN these people from campus, or push them farther and father into a corner to ensure their message is not heard.
Life is all about confronting different people and different opinions. We won’t always be able to ignore them or put them in a corner out of sight. If kids aren’t going to learn how to engage, debate, critique or accept opposing viewpoints while in college then how on earth are they going to get by in life?
I attended the event and in writing my review of his new work (Genesis) became familiar with Crumb’s body of art.
I have to say, Crumb’s comical depictions of rape offend me, but at the same time I’m cognoscente of the fact that it should be offended. All of us (especially us filthy men) have darker sides that we know are better left between us, ourselves, and we.
However, the merit of Crumb’s work lies in it’s filter-less presentation. That’s why it SHOULD be studied. We should accept his work as valuable because most people are incapable or unwilling to confronting their own darker side (some may read SIN) and so work like Crumb’s forces us to face that in someone else, and thus, is a catalyst to knowing ourselves better.
Censorship in the college atmosphere is definitely unhealthy. I think that things like Crumb’s work should be disagreed upon as good or valuable, but it should not be muted. It’s meant to be quibbled over, that’s what good art does, but the end result of any such conversation should never be the censorship of said art.
There is some allegory to the McDonnell campaign for Governor here – playing down potentialy offensive social values and playing up work and experience.
Very interesting point, Scott.
I guess you good liberals are fine with crumb’s controversial racist cartoons: what illogial reasoning will schizophrenic libs come up with next…
only someone unfamiliar with Crumb’s work thinks he draws racist cartoons…
As a Conservative I disagree, Liberty.
Anyone can judge for themselves by simply googling (crumb racist), its the best way around liberals cognitive dissonance, as for self described conservatives-congradulations on putting Obama in the white house
For a conservative Liberty, you are sounding mighty PC.
For a liberal Bopst, youre sounding more conservative lately. Are you applying to Regent? google- anarcho capitalism, think you might like their ideas…
No, I only would go to schools that would provide an education.
And in all the years I’ve read Crumb’s comics did I ever think the man was a racist or a misogynist. Sure, he has used inflammatory images & rhetoric, but within the context of his work, his intentions are to provoke reaction and not to belittle or mock women or non-whites.
If people here sincerely have their panties wet or in a wad over Crumb, then maybe you should consider that his recent appearance was at a taxpayer-subsidized but private venue, Center Stage.
What’s really obscene is that this white elephant arts center will NEVER make a return on its public investment and will continue to cost the City at least a HALF A MILLION a year (that susbsidy we know is in the ridiculous Center Stage contract that City Council approved) at a time when basic neighborhod services, mass transit, and school budgets are being cut even further.
For the record, I like and own some of Crumb’s comics, but did not attend this event. I don’t believe in censorship, but I also don’t believe our increasingly poor city should be in the theater business. Do any ‘conservatives’ or ‘liberals’ agree with me or is Richmond made up of all art-crazy radicals who just don’t care and/or can’t read a balance sheet?
Related:
http://cjwn.net/news/2009/11/02/hippodrome-getting-600000-boost/
Whether I agree with Burger or not I won’t say.
What I will say is that I love living in city where every conversation somehow becomes about the city. PEOPLE LOVE RICHMOND!!!
Subsidizing opera while shortchanging school buildings is not something to be proud about.
Do people really love Richmond?
I am sorry to be harsh, but this conversation usually goes nowhere- and I fully admit that I may not be the best example either- certainly Carol Wolf and SaveRichmond.com have also attempted.
Yes, I do love Richmond.
Eh, Richmond’s alright, I guess.
Of coarse I love RVA. City politics? Not so much…
Look, Center Stage is going to cost this City for decades to come- unless people start demanding that the contract get ripped up and the public subsidy ended.
Do you really love Richmond?
Yes?
@bopst, I’m personally not offended by the racial images, dont know much about the rape ones. But we live in a hyper sensitive PC culture and considering incidents like the BOB Greise getting in trouble for saying a Latin racecar driver was going to eat a taco qand a golfer caught a bunch of flac for saying Tiger woods was gonna order fried chicken for a goling banquet. Surely Crumbs work, if one calls drawing comic pictures work, is easily falls into our cultures definition of racially offensive
I want to marry richmond. The thing about the public financed art builing is that art should not be politicized, thats the short of it. I dont want to bad mouth the joint but like most public finacized endeavors, 6th street, main st. station, (right Bopst) they have a track record of failure, when i walked by the place the other night, maybe its just me but it seems like the bloom is already off the rose, political in-fighting, in-effiecient bureaucratic management, public budgeting will doom this place, socialism sucks in all its forms, always has always will
Scott, we’re kinda married to it at this point. There’s an entire portion of the city who’s revitalization is now based on the success of CenterStage. Because the city has chosen this horrible path, we kinda have to play it out or we risk really destroying any economic revitalization of the downtown area for decades.
That said, terms and conditions should certainly be revisited. The higher food tax in town needs to change, the city’s treatment of venues other than CenterStage needs to be reevaluated, how the city chooses to promote some businesses and ventures over others and what perks they do or do not provide private enterprise and small, community driven businesses, all of that needs to be looked at as a means to help this city continue to develop the businesses and entertainment that we want and need to be a vibrant community.
The success of the National and Movieland show what can be done if the city just gets the hell out of the way. There is certainly room for improvement, and the city weaning itself off of the CenterStage boondoggle would be GREAT but it unfortunately can not happen overnight.
Jason, I understand your point but its my belief that by not confronting the situation sooner than later we risk destroying any economic revitalization of the ENTIRE city for decades. We need to start pulling ourselves out of the quicksand or we go even deeper.
Scott, anyone who follows the reader comments at the various news outlets in our town knows that you are pretty worked up about CenterStage/The Hippodrome/Next Month’s Corporate Welfare Boondoggle vs. our School System. While I share Matt’s view (comment #14) I never dreamed in a million years I would encourage you to run for city council, but I think you should seriously consider it. You have the gumption for it.