Lehigh Univesity and the "Art" of Bush Bashing

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | 2/06/04 | Neal Hoffman

[kattracks]

Click on the thumbnails for a full-size picture

In a shocking display of partisanship on a campus already known for its left-wing bias, Lehigh University has placed an exhibit of 5 full-sized wall photographs depicting President Bush and his cabinet in compromising situations in the home of its History and Political Science departments. One of the photos depicts President Bush in a drunken stupor fondling a woman's breasts, while another depicts a group of whores, one of whom represents Dr. Condoleezza Rice, surrounding a table displaying numerous elephants, the Republican Party symbol.

The artist, Larry Fink, draws a connection between his blatantly biased exhibit and a Lehigh University academic department in his artist’s statement, claiming that “here in the halls of political science at Lehigh University they speak.” This connection to the political science department, which has over the years been accused by conservative students as having an obvious political bias, now possesses another inappropriate means by which to intimidate and silence students who might happen to support the president. Additionally, Mr. Fink had submitted these photos earlier to numerous left-leaning newspapers, as he notes in his statement, and every one of them refused to print the photos.

“These photos are a sinister attempt to shape the political thoughts of students and make conservatives feel uncomfortable on campus. The fact that numerous galleries exist here and yet they were placed in this particular building is clearly intentional,” said College Republicans Vice President Mary Yoder.

 College Republicans President Neal Hoffman commented on the photos saying, “We want it to be known that we are not against Mr. Fink’s freedom of speech, but if Lehigh, as a private institution, is going to maintain an assumption of political nonpartisanship, then these pictures clearly are in violation of that. Not only are they tasteless and falsely based, but they send a message to women, especially conservative women, who want to enter politics, telling them they are nothing more than sex symbols. By hosting these pictures, Lehigh has not only attacked conservative students and women, but they have given it their personal stamp of approval.”

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Neil Hoffman is president of the Lehigh University College Republicans.

[freebilly]

One of the photos depicts President Bush in a drunken stupor fondling a woman's breasts

Wrong President by about 4 years, but, hey, anyone can make an honest mistake....

[ovrtaxt]

I wonder if the NEA sponsored this. (Just kidding) Absolutely peurile.

[FreedomPoster]

Why are you kidding? It seems like a reasonable question to ask, to me.

[ovrtaxt]

I just don't want to hear any crap from the bushbots who try to justify the NEA spending hike. So I said it without saying it.

[rebel_yell2]

Political Science Department = Socialists Party Department

Even the students know this.

[weegee]

Wasn't Bill Clinton the impeached president who continues to stare at womens' hooters and grope women without invitation?

[FreedomPoster]

NEA and DoEd spending is absurd, and we should call Bush on it at every opportunity.

[FreedomPoster]

Nicely done!

[Jimmy Valentine]

You better get over here and have a look at this. Your "mountain hawks" are at it again.

Don't show this to Pop; he'll destroy the place.

I haven't the courage to see what my school is up to Liberal Arts weenies that we are; but GEEEEZZZZ! you guys are the "Engineers"!

Time for you to write the alumni association bro.

Regards,

[1rudeboy]

It's not even that complicated. The paintings objectify women. No more needs to be said. Let the bra-burning commence.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Total apoplexy - this is not my Lehigh.

[Salgak]

No Kidding. . . .I was ashamed of Lehigh after 9/11, but this is beyond the pale.

Guess it's time to start returning to sender EVERYTHING from the Alumni Association. . .

[Salgak]

And the "Mountain Hawks" is PC BS as well. . .

I was PROUD to be a Lehigh ENGINEER. . . .not the "Brown and White" or a "Mountain Hawk" . . .

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Here a link to what the campus rag has to say:

http://www3.lehigh.edu/external.asp?URL=http%3A//www.bw.lehigh.edu/

[weegee]

Maginnes artwork stirs nationwide controversy
By Greg Meyer
News Writer
2/4/2004

The College Republicans launched a national news media campaign to protest the location of a controversial photography exhibit currently displayed in the DuBois Gallery of Maginnes Hall.

Neal Hoffman, president of the College Republicans, has made the club’s views and goals in the matter very clear.

“All we’re mad about is that this exhibit was put up in what is supposed to be a nonpartisan department,” Hoffman said.

Maginnes is home to classes in the departments of political science, history and international relations.

The exhibit, titled “The Forbidden Pictures,” consists of five color photographs by world-renowned photojournalist Larry Fink. According to the artist’s own statement, which accompanies the exhibit, the pictures are meant to be a political satire presented in the German Weimar style used by such artists as Grosz, Dix and Beckmann.

Ricardo Viera, director of the Lehigh Art Galleries, said the artist hired actors, dancers and look-alikes of President Bush and his cabinet members to pose for the photographs. One of the pictures includes a Bush look-alike groping a woman’s breast.

Hoffman not only said that these pictures are offensive, but that they are falsely critical of the president.

“He’s one of the few presidents who has actually been faithful to his wife and he doesn’t drink anymore,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said that through the presidency of Bill Clinton, nothing of this sort was displayed on Lehigh’s campus.

“Why now, during an election year, do we suddenly see something critical of Bush?” Hoffman asked. “Why weren’t there pictures of Clinton when he was actually doing these things? It reeks of a double standard and it needs to be addressed.”

That is exactly what the College Republicans, led by Hoffman, plan to do. Hoffman said their goal in garnering all this media attention is to have the exhibit relocated to a different venue, such as Zoellner Arts Center or the University Center.

“We’re not asking for anything unreasonable,” Hoffman said. “We are certainly not against the exhibit, we are certainly not against freedom of speech and we’re certainly not wanting these photos to be censored or removed. We want the photos moved to a partisan neutral setting.”

The College Republicans met to discuss further actions Wednesday evening. They plan to formally request that the exhibit’s location be changed.

“The best thing to do is just to move it,” Hoffman said. “It’s not hurting anyone to move it.”

Matthew Salner, ’04, the former president of the College Democrats, disagrees.

“A lot of art can be controversial,” he said. “Once you start censoring, you restrict freedom of expression.”

Andrew Stanten, director of university communications, said that part of the purpose of art is to engage people in discussion and dialogue.

“The display of Fink’s art is not intended to endorse a specific agenda,” he said. “It is also not necessarily representative of the university’s beliefs.”

Salner said there might one day be art displayed in that very space that he disagrees with but he would not ask for its location to be changed.

Viera said the location of the exhibit was not chosen to push buttons. It was placed there because more people have the opportunity to see exhibits in classroom buildings than in the Zoellner Art Gallery.

Stanten said the location makes perfect sense because it houses departments in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“The artwork is being displayed in a known gallery on campus,” he said.

“This is controversial, but it’s very important and very powerful,” Viera said. “If you look at the photographs, the compositions are amazing.”

In addition, Viera said the exhibit is noteworthy because it is the first color exhibit Fink has created. Viera worries that the political issues involved in the piece are blinding viewers to the exhibit’s artistic value.

“I find this is a harmless exhibit,” Viera said. “It has a lot of value as a work of art that not everyone is looking at because of the content.”

The artist’s statement about the exhibit, which is located in Maginnes Hall and on the brochure for the exhibit, explains that the pictures were originally going to be published in The New York Times Magazine on September 16, 2001. Due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the photos were pulled. Fink attempted to have the photos published elsewhere had no success.

Hearing this story, Viera decided to look at the pictures and eventually bring them to Lehigh.

“The reason I brought it to the university is because the university should be a forum for presenting diverse ideas and intellectual challenges,”Viera said.

Political science professor Richard Matthews is one of the professors on campus who has chosen to discuss the exhibit in his classroom.

Hoffman said he has no problem with this use of the material.

“I think this is something that should be discussed,” he said. “I don’t think it’s something that needs to be outside of the political science, history and international relations departments that are supposedly nonpartisan.”

As a result of the media coverage that has occurred, the College Republicans have received support from student republican clubs at other universities as well as organizations such as the Allentown chapter of the Republican Party.

Hoffman said his club will not give up on its goal.

“We have nothing against him being allowed to put up the photos,” Hoffman said. “We just want them moved to a partisan-neutral setting.”

Viera does not regret his decision to bring the exhibit to Lehigh or its placement in Maginnes.

“Controversy is what it’s all about,” Viera said. “I don’t have to justify or apologize.”

[Salgak]

Y'know we need to start a Lehigh Grads Gift to LAFAYETTE until the university starts straightening up and flying right. . .

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

we need to start a Lehigh Grads Gift to LAFAYETTE

YOUCH! You really are PO'd to even think in such terms. I do concur that $$ are the only thing the Administration and the Board of Trustees understand.

Note the elitist condescension, Andrew Stanten, director of university communications, said that part of the purpose of art is to engage people in discussion and dialogue. This is always the excuse offered when elitists are called on their miscreant deeds. The idea that this is considered art rater than leftist agitprop boggles the mind. The days of civil discourse at this once great institution are indeed long past. All this makes me want to do is lock and load.

[Salgak]

Correct. And if enough grads withhold donations, etc., it might have an effect.

But the PC Police watch that closely: even the Alumni Association BBS has a 5-day message scroll, as I found out after 9/11 and the Flag incident.

Bottom line: not one dollar of my money will go to Old South Mountain, nor will my daughters. . .