I did a show in the summer of last year called "SelectionS," which focused
on presidential politics right before the November election.

The main part of the show was titled "A Presidential Rogues Gallery:
Satirical Posters 1960s - Present."  It was organized by the wonderful
Center for the Study of Political Graphics here in L.A.,  and it included a
dozen or so unflattering George W. Bush posters as part of the approximately
100 posters in the show.  Of course, ALL the posters were unflattering --
toward Johnson, Nixon, Carter, Clinton, George Bush Sr. -- but there were
admittedly fewer democrats skewered than republicans.

"SelectionS" opened on the eve of the 4th of July, which was just a couple
weeks after Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" had hit the national media
and, to say the least, there was a lot of political tension in the air.
Several important people saw the exhibition and were offended by its
anti-bush bias -- and various expressions of outrage and threats of
withholding of funding to the institution were made.  One person suggested
closing the exhibition until after the presidential election.  On the other
hand some prominent Republicans hereabouts for whom I know the
subject-matter was disagreeable, still came to the defense of the gallery
and argued for calm and measured responses.  So, the tempest eventually
settled and the teapot cooled.

But what was most interesting to me was the outcry about "lack of balance."
Many who were offended by the exhibit argued that there should have been a
counterpoint to the left-of-center tilt of the show.  But my feeling,
strongly, is that "balance" is not the responsibility of curators, curators
are not journalists, galleries are not newspapers, and curatorial bias is
just fine.  That said, mine is a contemporary art gallery, not a history
museum.  But the question is complicated -- does a museum/gallery have a
responsibility to "balance?"


_____________________________________
S t e p h e n    N o w l i n

http://stephennowlin.v3.net

Vice President,Director,
Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery
Art Center College of Design
1700 Lida Street
Pasadena, CA 91103
626.396.2397
[log in to unmask]

http://www.williamsongallery.net
http://www.artandscience.us
http://www.pasadena-culture.net
_____________________________________
 

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