"Deity" Prints Spark Controversy

As the Senate's recent discussion over several prints in the Campus Center basement reveals, Houghton students continue to grapple with the role of artwork on campus. The artwork in question, a series entitled "Deity," was placed in the Collaborative Meeting Room earlier this semester. The series consists of five prints by artist David Carr depicting various Greco-Roman gods. Hanging from left to right the prints are entitled "Cosmic Egg," "Goddess Gate," "Deity," "Apollo," and "Janus." Last Wednesday, the SGA Senate unanimously voted to have these pieces removed from the room. The final word, however, belongs to the Campus Enhancement Committee, which requested the Senate's recommendation on the matter. The committee has not yet come to a decision.

Last winter, then SGA president Zach Adams, ‘11, selected from the Houghton Art Collection two paintings and the print series to display in the SGA office. When current SGA president Garrett Fitzsimmons, senior, came into office, he took down the paintings because of some controversy they were causing among the Senate. Adams said he remembers several students raising objections to one painting in particular (an abstract vaguely resembling a woman's figure), but he asserts that the number was small. He also said that he does not remember any controversy over the five prints in question.

After Fitzsimmons removed the prints, Greg Bish, acting as the Project Manager for the renovations in the Campus Center Basement, took the five prints to display in the new Collaborative Meeting Room. According to Fitzsimmons, this led to a "respectful disagreement," and last Wednesday he brought the placement of the prints to the Senate meeting.

The prints are part of the Houghton Art Collection, which is made up of student and faculty work, as well as work by outside artists. Most of the work, explained Professor Jillian Sokso, art, is displayed around campus. While some of it will be pulled for special exhibits in the gallery, Sokso said that "the purpose of the collection is to adorn campus...it's to educate people about fine art, about various media. Philosophically, we don't collect simply religious art or Christian art. The work may or may not tie to our community affirmations about Christianity." The "Deity" series, she said, is part of a donation to the College by a Canadian collector.

Fitzsimmons stated that the Senate discussed two main objections to the series during last Wednesday's Senate meeting. According to him, one was a matter of preference as some senators found the prints ugly and strange. The other objection raised concerned the center piece in particular. Hanging in the middle of the series is a print depicting a mask-like face with the word "deity" in bold underneath. Fitzsimmons said that some senators objected to a painting that was labeling an image that does not appear to be the Judeo-Christian deity. This, coupled with the fact that the prints depict a variety of gods and goddesses from the Greco-Roman tradition, led Fitzsimmons to question whether the prints were suitable for the conference room.

Fitzsimmons asserted that "it is still art; it generates discussion," but questioned whether the work would be more suitable for a gallery setting. The major concern, he said, is that visitors may see the prints and not come to a thoughtful understanding of them.

There are, as the Senate vote demonstrates, students who agree with Fitzsimmons. Junior Rebekah Sudlow said that, while she "feels like whoever chose it was not trying to present some alternative to Christianity," she also understands the Senate's concern about visitors to the campus, visitors who may not understand or even have the opportunity to read a posted plaque giving an explanation for the pieces. Sophomore Ben Hardy, an SGA senator, agreed that the artwork should be removed.

"This is a Wesleyan university and these pieces, although they might not be sacrilegious, find their easiest interpretation in something very much opposed to that doctrine," said Hardy.

Other students, however, did not feel that such a concern was an adequate enough reason to take down the art.

"It's not a faith statement," said sophomore Jimmy Vitale. "It's a representation of the gods in history." Senior Luke Doty, who did not particularly like the "Deity" print, said, "I think any reason to take them [the prints] down should be aesthetic."

Dean Brittain, while he understands the concern for people only seeing the center "Deity" print, said, "I'm not sure I totally agree, since the Deity picture is part of a series of five Greco-Roman deities. The fact that humans have often deified one another (and still do) is a powerful message worth consideration." He stated that perhaps what was needed was a plaque or brochure to explain the artwork. This option was presented at the Senate, but the senators voted for removal instead.