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Confronting a Shitstorm:
Finding the Relevance of Controversial Art in a Contemporary World
Amanda R. Lewis
Shawnee State University

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Abstract
This paper explores the importance of controversial art and how it has contributed to the
development of innovative artistic movements, technique, and style beginning with 19th century
artwork and moving forward into the contemporary artwork of today. This paper also explores
the relevance of controversial art in today’s political, cultural, and social spheres while
challenging the concepts behind some of the world’s most influential contemporary artists. This
paper examines the revolutionary ideas and aesthetics of both 19th and 20th century artists while
exploring the definition of fine art and uncovering the varying platforms of global
communication to inform and educate an audience.

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Purpose: To illustrate the importance of controversial art as a platform for protest and
innovation.
Thesis: With the rate at which new technology emerges and the speed at which communication is
shared globally, how is art- specifically controversial- still relevant in today’s evolving world?
Audience: University students.
Confronting a Shitstorm:
Finding the Relevance of Controversial Art in a Contemporary World
I. Introduction
II. Supporting Factors
A. Art as innovation
B. Art as self-expression and social criticism
C. Art as political and cultural criticism
III. Argumentative Factors
A. Understanding controversial art
B. Questioning our conventions of art
C. Finding relevance in irrational art
IV. Conclusion

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Confronting a Shitstorm:
Finding the Relevance of Controversial Art in a Contemporary World
At some point in your life you’ve experienced a moment of great injustice or misfortune,
whether it was being offered a position based solely on the size of your bra or being overlooked
for a promotion because who you know is often more important that what you know. In that
moment, I’m sure you were greatly affected, be it emotionally or physically, and you may have
had the urge to rise to your feet and flip the bird at your oppressor in one final “Screw You!”
moment.
Now imagine that your middle finger stands nearly thirty feet tall, a gloriously erect
purple steel construction floating among the river, aimed at your president or your country’s seat
of power. It’s a powerful statement, is it not? Czech artist David Cerny did just that with his
sculpture Gesture in 2013, merely days before parliamentary elections were held in Prague,
which could have put the communist party back into power since they were ousted in the late
1980’s. Cerny has been consistent in creating strong anti-communist works and he has no
reservations when it comes to making his voice and opinions known. In fact, many artists
throughout history have used art as a platform for speaking out against political, cultural, and
social repression. However, with the rate at which new technology emerges and the speed at
which communication is shared globally, how is art- specifically controversial- still relevant in
today’s evolving world?
It’s imperative that we understand that not all artwork is created to be controversial.
Often, artists simply move in a different direction than their predecessors in order to find their

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own style and make a name for themselves without being confined by the rigorous training of an
established academy. In deviating from tradition, the work itself may become controversial
because it does not always follow the same standards or methods that we are accustomed to.
However, controversial art has been absolutely vital in the formation of new artistic movements.
During the 19th century, artists like Pablo Picasso and Gustave Courbet sought to distance
themselves from the strict artistic technique that dominated academies across Europe. In trying to
discover new artistic mediums, these artists created innovative styles which were extremely
controversial, despite their revolutionary technique. Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon was
highly controversial when it was unveiled in 1916. Not only was the subject of the painting
deemed immoral because it featured nude prostitutes of Avignon Street in Paris (known for its
brothels) but because of the crude rendering of the female figure. The female nude has long been
a popular theme in art, though at the beginning of the 19th century, most representations were
graceful and idealized images. Picasso’s bodies were fragmented and primitive (influenced by
the African masks and Iberian sculpture that Picasso collected). The fragmentation of the bodies
and background allowed the audience to view the figures from multiple perspectives, having
been influenced by Cezanne’s Still Life with Apples (c. 1895-98) (Kleiner, 2013). The
fragmentation also allowed the figures to become unified with the space they inhabited rather
than being two separate elements within the painting. Although highly controversial for its time,
the work ushered in a new style of modern painting called Cubism, which Picasso is most known
for.

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In 1866, artist Gustave Courbet received a commission for a painting that would become
one of many erotic works featured in a private collection. Again, the work featured the nude
female figure, though it varied greatly from any former artistic representation. L’Origine du
Monde is Courbet’s most controversial work because it displays the most intimate part of a
woman’s body in full, frontal view. While classical female nudes retained a sense of gracefulness
and modesty, Courbet’s work is explicit in nature and makes no attempt to hide its eroticism.
Like his contemporaries, Courbet sought to bring a new level to his work by exploring one of
man’s most basic urges: sexual desire. Like Courbet, other 19th century and 20th century artists
began exploring sexuality as the central theme in their artwork. Gustave Klimt, Egon Schiele,
and Edouard Manet all began exploring new themes in sexuality such as lesbianism (Schiele’s
Two Women, 1915), orgasm, and self-gratification (Klimt’s Masturbation, 1916), which helped
further the Expressionist movement and the exploration of the self and subconscious.
One of Claude Monet’s most famous paintings, Impression Sunrise (c. 1872) was harshly
criticized by critics in the 19th century because of the artist’s deviation from idealized and
realistic representation of an early morning sunrise over the port of Le Havre. Critics claimed the
painting seemed unfinished due to the artist’s rapid and sketchy brushstrokes- a sharp contrast to
the eloquent and highly organized style of earlier works. While critics applied the term
impressionist as a criticism, Monet’s Impression Sunrise brought about the Impressionist
movement in Europe, in which artists sought to represent what they saw not by painting what
was seen in reality as a literal representation, but by painting the subject as they experienced it
physically, emotionally, and creatively.

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Though 19th century artists paved the way for revolutionary ideas, it is contemporary
artists who continue to challenge our conceptions about controversial art. Contemporary artist
Tracy Emin created My Bed in 1998 as an intimate view into both her artistic career and her
personal life. My Bed features the artist’s own bed as it was used, complete with unwashed
linens, used condoms, empty alcohol bottles, stained undergarments, trash, and partially-smoked
cigarettes, among other miscellaneous items the artist used and then discarded within the work.
My Bed has received mixed reviews because audiences are often left scratching their heads.
Though she has used unconventional materials in this piece, do we accept Emin’s creation or
denounce it’s validity in the art world? It’s important that we understand the concept behind a
work such as My Bed. In this instance, it isn’t necessarily the finished work that is the statement
but the concept that brought about the creation. My Bed was intended to allow the audience to
have an extremely intimate look into the personal life of the artist, as she herself sees and
experiences it. In this work, Emin has successfully merged the two halves of herself and put
them on display for us to explore and criticize.
Ti-Rock Moore, a contemporary artist working in New Orleans has focused her attention
on works that illustrate social criticism and racial injustice. Moore currently has an exhibition at
the Gallery Guichard in Chicago that features around fifty installations that comment on racial
injustice and white privilege. The most controversial of these is a work that depicts a silicone
replica of Michael Brown, a young black man who was shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri by
a white officer. The incident led to violent riots in the state of Missouri and worldwide protests
that highlighted police brutality and racism. Moore has designed and created an exact replica of
the horrific scene as it was witnessed at the time of Brown’s murder. Angelitos Negros has

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garnered an enormous amount of criticism from the public, including Michael Brown’s father. At
first glance, the silicone replica is so realistic that it’s nearly impossible to discern it from an
actual human body, lying lifeless and forgotten on the floor of the gallery. It is an intensely
powerful creation and is intended to be atrocious in nature. Moore’s Angelitos Negros is deeply
troubling and unforgettable. It is meant to call attention to racial injustice and white privilege
because that is part of our human existence. Angelitos Negros is meant to shock us, to rattle us
from behind the comfort and safety of our Caucasian skin and to implore us into action. It’s
meant to remind us that this gruesome tragedy can be- and has already become- reality for many
black citizens living in America.
Ai Weiwei is perhaps China’s most prominent artist and human rights activist. Weiwei’s
artwork is often a narrative of the continuing fight for social change, individuality, and the
cultural freedom of China. In 2008, a series of earthquakes devastated Sichuan, killing over
5,000 schoolchildren when classrooms collapsed. Following the devastation, the Chinese
government made public announcements that it would conduct investigations into the school
collapse and release a count of the schoolchildren who were killed. However, after nearly a year,
authorities retracted their promise and failed to release the names or to investigate the collapse,
suggesting instead that the deaths were the result of “natural causes” and not faulty construction
(Grube, 2009). Following public outcry over the Chinese government’s lack of interest, Tan
Zuoren (Chinese writer and activist) and a team of volunteers, researchers, and investigators then
began conducting their own investigations of the school collapse while Weiwei began compiling
a list of the names of the children who were killed. Though the Sichuan Earthquake Names
Project gained international attention, Chinese authorities acted quickly in efforts to control the

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media attention that Weiwei and Zuoren were getting. In 2008 Weiwei, using over 45 tons of
rebar found at the collapsed sights, recreated an installation piece titled Straight. The 25x58ft
work displayed the once-twisted rebar laid out side by side along the floor in varying slopes,
mimicking the seismic activity recorded during an earthquake. While each bar is a stark reminder
of the individual children who were killed in the collapses, the work as a whole is captivating
and emotionally powerful.
In 2009 Zuoren was arrested on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” due to his
participation in the construction investigations. Soon after, Weiwei, who was scheduled to testify
in favor of Zuoren, was detained outside his hotel room in Chengdu and beaten by police. Others
involved in the projects were also detained, beaten, or harassed by police enforcement. In 2010,
Weiwei created another installation series known as Sunflower Seeds which featured over 1
million individually handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds that were hand-painted by over 1,600
Chinese artisans. Weiwei’s work is a criticism of the reputation that China now holds as a global
manufacturer. While each individual seed is unique, its craftsmanship is lost beneath the massive
amount of seeds that were created, indicative of China’s lost reputation as a leader in fine art
production to a mass producer of western consumer goods. In Sunflower Seeds Ai Weiwei
utilizes his imagination and creativity to call attention to China’s repression of humanity and
individuality (Hancox, 2011).
In 2011 Weiwei was apprehended while attempting to board a flight out of Beijing and
secretly detained for 81 days by Chinese authorities. Police raided his home and studio,
confiscated his computers, hard drives, files, and materials. His disappearance caused an
international media frenzy, with museums and fans advocating for his release. “Free Ai Weiwei”

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and “Where is Ai Weiwei” t-shirts and posters hit stands all across the world. Tate Modern
Museum petitioned for the artist’s release from captivity while displaying “RELEASE AI
WEIWEI” on the front of its façade in bold lettering. While Ai was released after nearly three
months of illegal imprisonment, he has continued to face authoritarian harassment. Officers are
on constant patrol outside the artist’s Beijing studio and follow him wherever he goes. Visitors,
journalists, and assistants have been subjected to interrogation while visiting the Fake studio in
Beijing. His former studio in Shanghai was demolished in 2011 on the orders of authorities
because it wasn’t built according to code. Since his release he has been convicted of tax fraud
and fined nearly $2 million dollars, is subjected to spontaneous interrogation with his parole
officer, and has been given an official statement that guarantees the demolition of his current
Beijing studio, Fake, at an undetermined future date.
Despite Ai Weiwei’s continuous harassment from police and his government, his artwork
continues to impress both physically and emotionally. In 2013, the artist secretly constructed and
shipped six dioramas displaying the time he spent in secret detention. The scenes depict the artist
in interrogation, eating, showering, sleeping and shitting while under the constant watch of two
guards. The series not only narrates Weiwei’s personal experience while detained, but reflects on
the human injustices that detainees experience while in imprisonment. Although the artist faces
an immeasurable amount of oppression from the Chinese government, he is able to pull his
experiences together to create evocative artwork that draws our attention to the escalating
infringement on human rights and freedom by the misguided abuse of government power.
In February 2012, a feminist punk rock group from Russia set up stage in the Cathedral
of Christ the Savior in Moscow, Russia. Armed with some anti-totalitarian lyrics and a couple of

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backpacks, the women stood at the front of the church and gave a performance that would
inevitably land them in prison. The members of Pussy Riot are a punk-rock performance art
collaborative who stage performances around Russia in an effort to protest Vladimir Putin’s
dictatorship and authoritarian regime- which includes feminist intolerance, religious intolerance,
and strict laws prohibiting LGBT relations. While the band’s performance was one of many
across Moscow, it caused a global scandal as members were removed from the church, beaten,
and imprisoned for “hooliganism with religious hatred”. Lead members Nadya Tolokonnikova
and Masha Alekhina, donning their iconic colored garments and guerilla-style masks, protested
for human rights that were dissipating under Putin’s stringent rule. While Nadya and Masha were
convicted and sentenced, the world rallied behind the girls and demanded their release. Superstar
celebrities like Madonna and Lady Gaga campaigned for their release while promoting their
ideas about equality and justice. Pressure was put on Russia as human rights activists across the
world organized in protest of the girl’s imprisonment. After nearly twenty months they were
released from prison. To their disappointment the discriminatory policies they were fighting
against had become even more ironclad in their absence. Pro-government vigilante groups
known as the Cossacks were physically threatening feminist protestors with violence. Putin’s
Gay Bill increased tensions among citizens of Russia, despite it being drawn up to “protect
Russian children” from homosexual propaganda (Radia, 2014). While members and citizens
alike face new levels of uncertainty and oppression, members of Pussy Riot and its supporters
are still advocating for human rights and freedom throughout Russia and the world. Lead
members Nadya and Masha are currently touring the globe in an attempt to promote feminist
ideas and human equality.

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While we’ve taken a look at how controversial art is a key element in artistic innovation,
political, social, and cultural criticism, as well as self-expression, it is imperative that you
understand that not all controversial art is meant to be taken seriously or to possess some deeper
meaning. Controversial art often challenges our expectations of what art truly is and forces us to
take another look at what separates art from object. It is also important to be familiar with artists
and to understand that not all controversial artists are trying to promote civil liberty or freedom
from oppression. In fact, some controversial artists create with the exact opposite in mind. Take
Marcel Duchamp for instance. Following the devastation caused by World War I, a group of
artists concluded that reason and logic were responsible for the nine million deaths across Europe
and the only means of escape was through anarchy, irrationality, and the intuitive (Kleiner,
2013). Marcel Duchamp presented quite the challenge to artistic conventions when he revealed
Fountain in 1917. A porcelain urinal turned on its back with R. MUTT printed in black lettering,
Fountain is a true Dada work. Duchamp’s creation has been one of the most controversial
artworks of all time and still arouses debate among art critics and audiences alike. It is absurd
and therein is the point. Duchamp has taken an ordinary object, removed its significance and
forced us to look at the work in a different light while questioning our conventions (Kleiner,
2013). Whether you believe the work to be art is entirely up to you but be ready to defend your
opinion the next time you find yourself at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
After researching Fountain you may ask yourself if controversial art somehow cheapens
the artistic aesthetic and significance? Or maybe you feel as if controversial artists simply lack
any traditional talent and therefor use shock value to gain notoriety in the art industry. If so, you
have a valid point. As stated previously, it’s absolutely crucial to become familiar with artists

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and their concepts. Not every controversial artist is working toward a selfless purpose. Take
Britain’s highest paid artist, Damien Hirst, who has been creating controversial pieces for years.
While Hirst cause quite a scandal with his Mother and Child, Divided (c. 1998) work (in which a
mother and her calf were sawed in half and suspended in formaldehyde display cases) his
sculpture For the Love of God (c. 2007) was unfathomably expensive. For the Love of God is a
human skull encrusted in platinum and inlaid with over 8,600 flawless, perfectly cut diamonds.
The finished work, while exquisite in all its glittering decadence, appears to have no underlying
meaning or relevance. Whatever statement the artist intended to make with this piece is
overshadowed by the excessive cost of materials, roughly around $21 million. How can one of
Britain’s most notorious artists justify spending such an excessive amount of money on one
project? One could say that Hirst appears to be an artist who is simply in it for the money. In his
defense, Hirst states that he doesn’t think about money when he creates, he thinks only about his
concept. While that may be the case, it is difficult to fathom using that level of notoriety and
talent to create a trivial work such as For the Love of God.
We’ve taken a look at how 19th century artists unknowingly creating controversial art that
led to the discovery of new aesthetic styles and technique, often ushering in new artistic
movements such as Cubism, Modernism, and Expressionism. Controversial art has the ability to
transcend cultural and political boundaries while protesting for political, social and economic
reform. We’ve seen how Ai Weiwei uses his work as a platform for which he globally
communicates his frustration and to spotlights political injustice and cultural repression. Pussy
Riot uses performance art to speak out against human rights violation. Following their
performance at the Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow, they’ve successfully garnered an

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enormous amount of worldwide media attention that puts Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, and
his severe policies up for critique.
When controversial art is combined with the ability to share information quickly utilizing
modern technology and communication- whether it’s shared via social media or reputable media
outlets- is has the power to put totalitarian leaders and unfair governments under close scrutiny.

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Cohen, Andrew. 2013. Ai Weiwei. Art Asia Pacific. May/June Issue 83, p201-204.
Florman, Lisa. 2012. Insistent, Resistant Cezanne: On Picasso’s Three Women and Les
Demoiselles d’Avignon. Notes in the History of Art. Volume 31 Issue 4, p19-26.
Grube, Katherine. 2009. Ai Weiwei Challenges Chinese Government over Earthquake. Art Asia
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Narins, John William. 2012. The Pussy Riot Mess. Artnews. Volume 111 Issue 9, p50-52.
Radia, Kirit. 2014. NBC News Moscow. Vladimir Putin Defends Anti-Gay Law.
Wong, Edward. 2013. An Artist Depicts His Demons. New York Times. May 26, 2013.