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February 19, 2007
The Art the Brooklyn Public Library Does Want You To See
Englishman In New York
Paul Berger, the freelance journalist who wrote the article in yesterday's NY Times City section about the Footprints exhibit controversy at the Brooklyn Public Library, posted outtakes on his blog:
Since the development is controversial and since the library’s decision to exclude some works has proved controversial, I expect that my story will come in for criticism too. So be it. However, there are a couple of things I would like to add, since the 450 word count for the Times story was a constraint.
...
However hard the library might have tried to exclude works that it deemed too political the sum total of the exhibition is to leave the visitor—or this one at least—with the depressing impression that if the development goes ahead all of the people and places featured will be gone.Another aspect missing from today’s story is the image of the picture above. In my story I mention that the painting Console Yourself, by Aisha Cousins, is included in the exhibition, but the impact of the work is only clear if you can see it for yourself.
...if the library was willing to show the picture above, why not show Donald O’Finn’s collage of the arena as a gigantic, glowing toilet?
NoLandGrab: The point about "controversial" works slipping through, while others were excluded has been made by us and Norman Oder as well, which makes one wonder why the library even tried to make a distinction.
Posted by lumi at February 19, 2007 8:48 AM