By Bailey Richards
Art is not easily defined. According to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, art is “the human ability to make things.” However, this definition leads to confusion. This is because people make things such as bread, houses and clothing. All of this is making something, but not what I consider art. Art is not always beautiful or making a social statement, but often it is. Art can be many things and show many things, or it can be simple. This difficulty in defining art has caused feuds for centuries. One of these feuds made its way to the University of Louisville campus.
The Century Project is a group of photos, taken by Frank Cordelle, of nude women ranging in age from birth to 94. The basic idea behind the project is hearing the stories and seeing the photos of these women, in order to better understand the female condition. These photographs have found themselves in the middle of a debate over what is considered art and what is considered child pornography.
Unlike art, pornography has a much more easily understood definition. Webster states that pornography is: “writings, pictures, etc. intended primarily to arouse sexual desire.” According to this definition, The Century Project’s photographs are quite simply not pornography. The intention in taking the photos was not to create a playboy-esque, glamorized picture that would illicit desire, but to show a woman with imperfections and flaws as they really are. United States law states that something can only be considered pornography if it shows someone in a sexually explicit act. These photos do not. Despite this fact, over the past few years author and professor John Foubert has tried to have the photos removed at nearly every venue they have been shown.
Foubert argues that the photos of the young women in The Century Project are actually child pornography. While it is true that there are photos of naked girls from the ages of zero to 17, the photos do not fall under pornography in my interpretation of U.S. law. In order for something to be considered child pornography, it must show a minor in an explicit act, not just nude. The parents and children signed agreements that the photos could be taken and shown.
One of the biggest problems with Foubert’s efforts is the impact it could have on art history if he were to win. If the art community were to define pornography as strict as Foubert does, then we would not have many of the classics. Michelangelo’s “David” is a depiction of a nude young boy. But it is one of the most iconic and beautiful sculptures of all time. By Foubert’s definition, angelic cherubs should be banned because they show naked babies. Nude men and women have been depicted since the beginning of art. In essence, nudity is a part of our society and is not by law considered pornography without a lewd act. If people choose not to appreciate or wish not to see the naked bodies in The Century Project, then they don’t have to go see the exhibit.
Bailey is a senior fine art major. E-mail her at opinion@louisvillecardinal.com
