The Black Von Scrolls

                     David Wojnarowicz, Untitled (One day this kid…), 1990/91

While some may be protesting in front of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, others far and away remain outraged by the removal of David Wojnarowicz’s piece, A Fire In My Belly from the show “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture”.

I don’t need to go on in detail about the removal of this artwork when others have written about this over the last few days; here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. What I would like to do is encourage more people to write a letter to Secretary Clough of the Smithsonian, the man responsible for pulling the art work. Below is my letter sent out today, please flood his office with letters (copy/paste mine if you like). Mr. Clough’s email address is: cloughw@si.ed. Galleries like PPOW and Transformer are asking you print and distribute this image above as a sign against censorship.

Dear Secretary Clough:

I am deeply disappointed by the removal of Wojnarowicz’s piece, “A Fire In My Belly” in the National Portrait Gallery “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture”. It is a clear attack on the artist’s Freedom of Speech and Expression, initially fueled by Eric Cantor (R-VA), John Boehner (R-Ohio) and the Catholic League. 

Jack Kingston’s (R-GA) threat to the NPG, “calling them up in front of the Appropriations Committee, asking for some resignations, auditing all their budget – all their books.” should have been publicly criticized by the Smithsonian and the American Association of Museums as political blackmail.

But instead, under your direction, the Smithsonian caved to the GOP and Catholic League. You stated in a letter to your staff, “Most of the recent attention about the exhibition has focused on 11 seconds of a four-minute video clip, perceived by some to be anti-Christian and intentionally provocative. Neither description could be further from the truth. However, it was clear that this video was detracting from the entirety of the exhibition, so NPG removed the video.”

Although this might be a public explanation, it does not elaborate to any real reason in removing an artwork from museum walls chosen specifically by the NPG curators. The public is left to our own interpretation, which is the Smithsonian looks weak in the face of political and religious threats. Removing the artwork undermines the entire show on gay love, and the artist’s choice of imagery in the context of his experience with AIDS and death. Has our society not evolved since the 1990 case against the NEA Four? Apparently not, censorship is censorship.

Please reconsider your choice. Reinstall the video and issue a statement to the public. On behalf of David Wojnarowicz’s legacy and those who express their opinions freely today, please do the honorable and just thing.

Sincerely yours,

Michelle Vaughan

Artist, New York City

*UPDATE* The Association of Art Museum Directors just issued a statement condemning the removal of the artwork. Not to be confused with the American Association of Museums (like I did for a brief moment).