Art black-out. Black curtains obscure entry to the room that contains what remains of Paul Yore’s controversial contribution to the Like Mike: Now What??? exhibition at The Linden Gallery, hanging in stark contrast to surrounding colourful and eclectic works.
A small sign attached to the curtain offers advice the Linden Centre is awaiting classification for the work from the Australian Classification Board following the removal of sections of Yore’s installation, Everything is F-cked, by police.
The gallery has also hired a security guard to prevent visitors from taking photos and “so the exhibition can continue to be viewed and enjoyed in an orderly way,” according to a media release from the gallery.
Geoff Newton, co-curator of the exhibition, says the gallery has not properly communicated with the artist. “I think it’s too late for them to stay safe in the wake of what happened. In my mind they’ve truly harmed Paul’s relationship to the public, his reputation as an artist. Linden, by doing nothing, has kind of sided with the censorship in the beginning, whereas any other gallery in my view would have defended the work fiercely from the outset and they would have communicated with Paul,” Newton said.
Sue Foley, chairwoman of the gallery’s board, did not want to go into detail about the gallery’s plans but said: “It has been a very difficult time, but we’re working through it. The gallery has reopened, which we’re happy about, and we’ll keep people informed.”
Despite the controversy the gallery has continued to advertise the exhibition on its website and hasn’t removed Yore’s name from its online description. — Joanna Robin
Herald Sun tpyo. It’s a shame no one at the Herald Sun thought to read over today’s front page before sending it to the printers …
Correction of the day. The Age today apologises for a “potentially dangerous” fungus flub. The snafu was in a sponsored liftout, “Russia Beyond the Headlines”, compiled by Russian government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Here was the offending original item.
Vox pop of the day. The Wagga Daily Advertiser quizzes locals on whether Australia should retrieve the bodies of drowned asylum seekers…
I happen to agree, on strictly utilitarian grounds, that major resources should not be expended on retrieving those who are beyond help (and maintain this irrespective of nationality). But you do have to wonder if the lady who thinks the country of origin should send a naval vessel realises that Afghanistan is landlocked.
The women of Wagga may be representative of the views of most Australians, but I feel profoundly disturbed. It seems that Al Qaida has achieved a huge victory since 2001, we have become so hardened to the loss of human life, so utterly failing to comprehend why people take huge risks to escape persecution, that we have actually become less human ourselves. Are the bodies of those killed while fleeing now just so much rubbish? Have we forsaken our souls just to undermine a ‘business model’? I am depressed.
I don’t think the rest of us should be paying the welfare benefits of these idiots from Wagga Wagga. What a heartless, gutless bunch.